Conservation Comes to St. Petersburg: The Work of Katherine Bell Tippetts

Born March 11, 1865, Katherine Bell Tippetts became one of the most influential civic leaders in St. Petersburg. A native of Somerset County, Maryland, she arrived in the city in 1902 with her husband, Col. William H. Tippetts. After his death in 1909, she assumed management of the Belmont Hotel and the family’s business interests.

A gifted writer fluent in five languages, she published essays and fiction under the pen name Jerome Cable. Her greatest passion, however, was conservation. After witnessing the needless killing of songbirds, she helped found the St. Petersburg Audubon Society in 1909 and served as its president for 33 years.

Under her leadership, the group successfully pushed for legislation protecting robins and other aviary wildlife. The organization even delivered a petition nearly seventy feet long to the Florida legislature in support of the measure. By 1920, eleven cities in Pinellas County had been declared bird sanctuaries.

Tippetts’ civic work extended well beyond conservation. She served with numerous organizations, supported public education, and helped shape the city’s civic institutions. When she died in 1950, she left behind a legacy of environmental stewardship and community leadership that continues to shape St. Petersburg today.