Adopted a baby girl, Julia, with his first wife in 1936.
His mother was an heir to the Yawkey lumber and mining fortune. When she died, Tom was adopted by his uncle, William Hoover Yawkey, then-owner of the Detroit Tigers.
Inherited $20 million at the age of 16. Bought the Boston Red Sox for $1 million in 1933. Lost an estimated $10 million trying to build championship teams over the next 44 seasons.
Donated 20,000 acres of land to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources upon his death in 1976. It is considered one of the most outstanding gifts to wildlife conservation in the United States and now spans 24,000 acres.
Established the Yawkey Foundation in his will. The organization still exists and supports nonprofit organizations in Boston and Georgetown County, SC.