Tom Lee, 1885-1952

Born February 18, 1885, in Hopefield, Arkansas, Tom Lee became a Memphis hero through an extraordinary act of bravery when he rescued 32 people from drowning in the Mississippi River on May 8, 1925. The M. E. Norman steamboat had capsized with members of the Engineers' Club of Memphis aboard when Lee, an African American who did not know how to swim, risked his own life. In gratitude, the Club coordinated a national fundraiser to by him a home in Klondike, a neighborhood created for African American homeowners in Memphis. Continued. Tom Lee died on April 1, 1952, and was interred in Mt. Carmel Cemetery. Today, Tom Lee's home in the historic klondike neighborhood symbolizes the valiant efforts of many African American leaders in Memphis to serve their community with courage and compassion even in the most challenging circumstances.