Copied from Peabody's school page:
From the George Peabody Museum website:
The Southern states suffered greatly both during and after the American Civil War. Moved by their situation, George Peabody wanted to help. He believed that education would help the Southern people rebuild and so donated funds to "promote and encourage the intellectual, moral and industrial education of the destitute children of the Southern States." The Fund also attempted to establish a permanent education system run by qualified teachers.
In recognition of this act of philanthropy, Congress unanimously approved a resolution of gratitude and presented Peabody with a gold medal. Also, President Andrew Johnson personally visited Peabody and thanked him for his efforts.
He was a remarkable man who gave millions to those in need yet never actually bought any property for himself. Click on his picture to learn more.
Peabody High School is proud to carry the name of such a fine person and we will throughout the school year post more information about his life. In the meantime please visit the website listed above to learn more about our namesake.
More from the website:
"Although George Peabody was first and foremost an American
businessman, his philosophic ideals transcended the war. As such, he
was more concerned with helping people than with politics. This was
evident in the effort he put forth in the Peabody Education Fund."