Studio shots, no. 40: Thomas Levi Peacock.

IMG_1327.JPG

Tom Peacock, mid-1940s.

——

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 204 Vick Street, hotel bellboy Levi Peacock, 30; wife Elouise, 28, a public school teacher; children Jewel D., 4, and Thomas L., 14; and mother-in-law Etta Reaves, 50, post office maid. [This entry contains serious errors. Jual D. Peacock was a daughter, rather than son, of Levi and Eloise Peacock, and Thomas was in fact just over a year old in 1930.]

Thomas Levi Peacock registered for the World War II draft in Wilson in 1946. Per his registration card, he was born 6 December 1928 in Wilson County; resided at 414 North Reid Street; his contact was Levi Harry Peacock; and he was a student at Darden High School.

Thomas Levi Peacock graduated from Darden in 1947 and entered Howard University in Washington, D.C.  He pledged Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity in 1948 and graduated in 1951.

Screen Shot 2017-08-20 at 8.38.08 PM.png

The Bison (1951).

Peacock enlisted in the Air Force after graduation and in 1952 graduated from Officer Candidate School.

Wilson Daily Times, 12 July 1952.

Peacock went on to Meharry Medical College’s Dental School and in 1958 was licensed to practice dentistry in North Carolina:

Screen Shot 2017-08-20 at 9.16.18 PM.png

Within a few years, Dr. Peacock opened a practice in Jamaica, Queens, New York, where he immediately rose to prominence in social, as well as professional circles …

Baltimore Afro-American, 17 December 1963.

… and was named one of the “Bachelors for 1964” in the August 1964 issue of Ebony magazine.

Screen Shot 2017-08-20 at 9.02.20 PM.png

Dr. Peacock is retired and, after returning to live in Wilson for several years, now resides in Florida.

Photograph in the collection of Hattie Henderson Ricks, now in possession of Lisa Y. Henderson.

7 comments

  1. Wow. What an outstanding young man! I wish I had met him when he lived in Wilson before moving to Florida. I’ll bet he had some stories to tell!

    B. Perry Morrison, Jr. Attorney and DRC-Certified Mediator (Superior Court) Morrison Law Firm, P.L.L.C. P.O. Box 2046 4612 Nash Street North Wilson, NC 27894-2046 (252) 243-1003 (252)243-1004 (fax) http://www.nccomplaw.com

    This email, and any attachments thereto, is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this email, and any attachments thereto, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately and permanently delete the original and any copy of this email and discard any printout thereof.

    1. He bought a house one street over from my parents, but I never met him. It appears that he came back to Wilson well after I left. I may try to track him down. His photo was among a cache collected by my grandmother. He and my middle uncle were school pals.

  2. I knew Dr. Tom Peacock. My father inspired him to be a dentist. Tom was son of legendary Mr. Levi Peacock who was a teacher at Wilson Colored Graded School and bellhop at Cherry Hotel. I visited Tom’s office on Merrick Blvd in Jamaica New York on several occasions. His office was around the corner from my aunt and uncle. In his later years he built a house on Tranquil Drive in Wilson’s Bel Air Subdivision where his sister would reside. He visited this home quite frequently. GKBUTTERFIELD

Leave a Reply