Memphis Hero: Tom Lee
Courage in the Current
Most Memphians are familiar with the verdant Tom Lee Park located downtown on the riverfront; however few are familiar with the heroic story of this park’s namesake.
Although he had never learned to swim, Tom Lee worked as a levee repairman on the Mississippi River. On May 8, 1925, Lee was en route to work a job in Helena, AR, on his skiff, named Zev. As he navigated his way through the treacherous currents of the Mississippi, he came upon a capsized steamer. The M.E. Norman along with its companion boat, the Choctaw, were ferrying their passengers from a meeting for the Mid-South Chapter of the American Society for Civil Engineers at Pinckney Landing. During their return, the M.E. Norman was caught by the current, and the boat capsized in the middle of the river. Several of its 72 passengers drowned immediately.
Once Lee noticed the steamer in distress, he hastily reversed his skiff and began to drag floundering passengers into his boat. However, his vessel was so small that he could only carry eight passengers at once. With complete abandonment of his own personal safety and disregarding his own inability to swim, Lee vigorously pulled the victims out of the water, filled his boat to maximum capacity, dropped them off safely on shore, and headed back out for more rescues. In total, Lee single-handedly saved 32 passengers. There were only about a dozen other passengers who survived without his help.
A Legacy Continued
President Calvin Coolidge honors Memphian Tom Lee for his heroic rescue on the Mississippi River
The city of Memphis instantly hailed Lee as their champion, even lobbying for him to receive the Carnegie Medal for heroism. Locals raised money to buy a house for Lee, and the city hired him as a sanitation worker. President Calvin Coolidge took note of his courage and invited Lee to the White House so that he could personally thank him for his service. However, despite this profusion of praise, Lee remained humble, described by many as “quiet-natured” and “modest.”
After Lee’s death, E.H. Crump renamed Astor Park in 1954 in his honor, and two monuments have been erected to commemorate his heroism. Currently, the Memphis River Parks Partnership is redesigning Tom Lee Park to transform it into a gorgeous riverfront park. The committee hopes that the project will revitalize this space into a thriving point of gathering for community involvement.
As we navigate the complexities of the various struggles within our communities, may we emulate the selfless courage and inspiring determination of Tom Lee, persistently seeking to uplift our neighbor.
Photo via Library of Congress