Thomas A. Peebles - Founder and Philanthropist

The Early Years

Thomas A. Peebles was born in Scotland in 1883 and brought to America as a child by his parents. He received his preliminary education in the Illinois public school system, then went on to graduate from the University of Illinois. A talented engineer, he acquired over 20 patents in the areas of furnace design and water treatment.

Florida Citrus

Mr. Peebles and his wife Beth first visited Vero Beach for the first time in the summer of 1929 on vacation. Then, following retirement from his engineering career in 1946, they permanently moved to Vero. retriement didn't last long. Mr. Peebles soon purchased 40 acres of prime Indian River County farmland and began a study of citrus culture. He planted multiple varieties of citrus fruit and eventually increased the farm to 500 acres. He grew and then marketed this prime gift-grade citrus, grown in the rich soil of the Indian River area.

Vero Beach

Before moving to Florida, Mr. Peebles and his wife coordinated a summer travel group of Pittsburgh friends and business associates, with Vero Beach as annual the destination. Then, after moving permanently to Vero Beach, his passion for philanthropy became evident when he began to actively fund-raise and promote the Indian River Memorial Hospital, initially a privately owned hospital and later government operated. He was also active in securing the construction of a library,  theater and community church in Vero.


Philanthropy

For many years, Mr. Peebles served as a Director of the Indian River County hospital and the theater. In 1953 Tom and his wife established the Agnes Peebles Memorial Scholarship Foundation in honor of his mother. The foundation was an irrevocable trust fund with the purpose of giving annually some 4 to 6 girls in Vero Beach High School a four year grant each to attend a Florida college, the amount being adjustable to tuition and living cost of the times. The Foundation continues to operate today, providing scholarships to young women graduating from Vero Beach High School.

In 1957 the Peebles established a trust through which they made donations to local hospitals and schools. Another organization that the couple helped to promote was the Rural Life Development and Research Project in India. A favorite international charity of the Peebles' was the World Neighbors, a missionary organization (that dedicated a dormitory in his honor at India's Ahmednagar College).

Thomas Peebles was a member of the American Association of Mechanical Engineers, BPOE, the Duquesne Club of Pittsburgh and Rotary Club of Vero Beach. He became a citizen of the United States about 1890 by right of his father‘s naturalization. Mr. Peebles passed away in Vero Beach, Florida in 1965, survived by his wife, three grandchildren and several great grandchildren