| MISSION
AND PHILOSOPHY
Warren Thoits: Shaping Palo Alto
by Michael A. Traugott
A thriving business community, a well-respected law firm,
an impressive roster of community organizations: All know
the handiwork of Warren Thoits.
The youngest of five children, Thoits was born on the 900
block of Forest Avenue, where the house still stands and is
now occupied by his nephew.
Thoits himself is a third-generation Palo Altan, his grandfather
the founder of a family shoe business in 1891. The grandfather
opened Thoits Shoes when he recognized that the distance between
the city train depot and Stanford would wear out a considerable
number of student and faculty shoes.
Warren made the rounds of the Palo Alto school system, playing
football for Palo Alto High and graduating in 1939. He then
crossed El Camino to attend Stanford, where he received his
bachelor's degree in 1943 before joining the Navy. He served
first on an antisubmarine ship patrolling the East Coast waters
and later on a communications ship in the South Pacific, coordinating
the landing of troops and supplies on three beachheads.
After the war, Thoits entered Stanford Law School, pursuing
an interest in the law that he traces back to an uncle's ordeal
when charged with murder. The uncle was eventually exonerated,
Thoits said, but not before spending time on death row. As
Thoits sat in the courtroom observing his uncle's trial, he
became fascinated by the legal process and realized it was
his calling.
After completing law school in 1948, Thoits joined a Palo
Alto solo practitioner, Dave Samuels. When Samuels retired
in the early 1960s, Thoits took the reins, building the practice
into the widely respected firm Thoits, Love, Hershberger &
McLean. As he grew the firm, Thoits said, his goal was to
be not the biggest law practice in town, but the best.
Over the years, Thoits and his family emerged as significant
downtown landowners. Living by the motto "Buy, don't
sell," Thoits helped mold the Palo Alto we know today.
He was also the developer of the San Antonio Shopping Center,
with Sears as the original anchor tenant.
Thoits was never tempted to enter the political arena, choosing
instead to serve the community as a volunteer. Among other
notable achievements, he co-founded the Junior Chamber of
Commerce in 1951 and served on numerous nonprofit boards.
As a Rotarian, he saw a need for a nutritional program for
older adults, and with determination and a little help from
his friends, he established La Comida at Avenidas. Mindful
of the needs of stroke survivors, he also founded the Peninsula
Stroke Association in 1998.
The son of a banker, Thoits's accomplishments also extend
into finance. He is one of the co-founders of Mid-Peninsula
Bank, which itself recently won recognition for community
service, receiving the Tall Tree Award.
Thoits and his wife, Vicki, have four children and 14 grandchildren.
He and Vicki walk every morning and share a wonderful life
of laughter and love.
Return to top of page
Email: info@thoits.com
|
