James Martin Peebles

Who was James Martin Peebles?

James Martin Peebles was a physician, prolific author, organizer of many professional, medical, and religious associations, member of the Indian Peace Commission of 1868, United States Consul at Trebizond, Turkey, and representative of the American Arbitration League at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. A former Universalist minister, he became an Episcopalian after the American Civil War, and then a Spiritualist and Theosophist. Many of his books are on Spiritualist subjects, although he also penned a quite popular book, fittingly titled "How to Live a Century and Grow Old Gracefully."

A few organizations Peebles took a leadership role in are the National Spiritualist Association, the California College of Sciences, the Peebles College of Science and Philosophy, the California Centenarian Club, and the California Humanitarian League. He was a professor in the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati.

Peebles was married to Mary M. Conkey, and they had three children, none of whom lived past infancy.