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The Engineers Club of Memphis: Restore/Renovate Mission for Mansfield

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Tom Lee is my Great Uncle, as I endure daily to uphold and upsurge the realization of his heroic deeds; a gift he received for saving 32 lives (Members/Friends and Family of the Engineers Club) in the Mississippi River in 1925 is being labeled a “Blight of Memphis“.

Although the home is boarded up it is not abandoned. The current owner has delayed doing anything with it out of respect for Tom Lee and to give us time to explore ways to preserve it.

Reported on May 29, 1925 President Calvin Coolidge paid tribute to the valor of Tom Lee and for being a “modest negro whose quickness of thought saved 32 persons”. Many others at that time thought Tom Lee needed a home and earned it. “A true negro and an honor to his race, writes “J.M.” The negro race have a heritage in Tom Lee life that they can forever point to with pride. They should be proud of the opportunity to help erect a home for him.”

Now, 87 years later being his great niece I seek to preserve the home that was given to him. Every day we make decisions to write our own history and this house is a part of Tom Lee’s history. He lived in this house until his death in 1952. Even though he had long passed away E. H. Crump suggested Astor Park be renamed in his honor to Tom Lee Park.

Most Recently, U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen says the statue, the obelisk and Tom Lee Park are sufficient tribute. "It's not like the house has any value in itself. The value is in the man and his noble action, and that's encapsulated in the park and the memorial."

Also, after speaking with Charles B. Thompson, president of the Memphis Engineers Club, he said to me “this will take food out of my grandchildren’s mouths” also he says “it plans to include Lee as part of the club's 100th anniversary celebration in two years. But he says moving the house, renovating it and preserving it would amount to a "money pit ... No one in their right mind is going to do that."

Everyone has a right to their opinion. However, there is always “the right thing to do”. History is made every day in this great country we live in and every one shows their “respect” in different ways.

Nonetheless, Baker says “her office is applying to list the Lee house on the National Register of Historic Places and to help get a historical marker through the Tennessee Historical Commission”. Memphis Heritage executive director June West would like to see the structure moved to prevent further damage to it. "We don't have the funds nor access to funds, but we would certainly advocate for it if someone wanted to pick up the baton and move forward."

This is an immense start for great things to come. In spite of, the day of the sinking of the M.E. Norman, Tom Lee did not say to himself, “well they lived a nice life, and so I'll let them drown”.

He did the right thing at the right time and he didn’t know how to swim. Most importantly, those 32 lives made way for generations, and thousands of lives were born and lineages were allowed to flourish.

Thank you for taking the time to read my Mission for Mansfield. Please SIGN THE PETITION AND FEEL FREE TO contact me at (678) 683-3710 or tomleeamemphishero@gmail.com for more information.