Dorothy Leavey
Encyclopedia
Dorothy E. Risley Leavey was an American
philanthropist
and co-founder of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
.
Dorothy Risley was born in Omaha, Nebraska
, in 1897. She grew up in Cleveland, Chicago
and Butte, Montana
. She attended the University of Montana and worked as a legal secretary
before moving to California
. In 1930, she married Thomas E. Leavey
, co-founder of Farmers Insurance Group. The couple had two children: Kathleen and Dorothy Therese. She performed volunteer work for the Assistance League in Hollywood and for the Ladies of Charity.
In 1952, she and Thomas founded the Leavey Foundation. The foundation has donated more than $100 million to educational, medical and other Catholic causes.
For her generosity, the Catholic Church honored her as a dame of the Order of St. Gregory, a dame of the Knights of Malta, and a dame of Magistral Grace.
She earned four honorary degrees -- from the University of Southern California
, Santa Clara University
, Georgetown University
and Loyola Marymount University
.
Dorothy Leavey died in January 1998 at the age of 101. Her husband Thomas pre-deceased her in 1980. Her younger daughter Terry (Dorothy Therese) was killed in an automobile accident in 1979. She was survived by her daughter Kathleen L. McCarthy, nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and co-founder of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation is a charitable foundation founded by Farmers Insurance Group co-founder Thomas E. Leavey and his wife Dorothy E. Risley Leavey in 1952. In the fifteen year period from 1981 to 1994, the Leavey Foundation donated more than $100 million to institutions and...
.
Dorothy Risley was born in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, in 1897. She grew up in Cleveland, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
. She attended the University of Montana and worked as a legal secretary
Legal secretary
A legal secretary is a particular category of worker within the legal profession.In the practice of law in the United States, a legal secretary is person who works in the legal profession, typically assisting lawyers. Legal secretaries help by preparing and filing legal documents, such as appeals...
before moving to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In 1930, she married Thomas E. Leavey
Thomas E. Leavey
Thomas E. Leavey was an American businessman and philanthropist. Born in Ferndale, Humboldt County, California to Irish immigrants, he served as a lieutenant in the U. S. Army in the final days of World War I. In 1922, he received a bachelors degree from the University of Santa Clara. He...
, co-founder of Farmers Insurance Group. The couple had two children: Kathleen and Dorothy Therese. She performed volunteer work for the Assistance League in Hollywood and for the Ladies of Charity.
In 1952, she and Thomas founded the Leavey Foundation. The foundation has donated more than $100 million to educational, medical and other Catholic causes.
For her generosity, the Catholic Church honored her as a dame of the Order of St. Gregory, a dame of the Knights of Malta, and a dame of Magistral Grace.
She earned four honorary degrees -- from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
.
Dorothy Leavey died in January 1998 at the age of 101. Her husband Thomas pre-deceased her in 1980. Her younger daughter Terry (Dorothy Therese) was killed in an automobile accident in 1979. She was survived by her daughter Kathleen L. McCarthy, nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.