MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Thursday is Tom Lee Day in Memphis, honoring the man who saved over 30 people from drowning in the Mississippi River 100 years ago, on May 8, 1925.
The rescue came after the steamship M.E. Norman set off for a trip two miles downriver from Memphis with passengers from an engineering group who were inspecting levees. On the return trip, they ran into trouble.
Tom Lee, a river worker, used a small boat to save 32 passengers after the steamship overturned in the Mississippi River. Lee could not swim, but he put his own life at risk, saving the lives of those who were on the boat.
Family of River Hero Tom Lee Wants Home Moved Downtown
He was quickly recognized as a hero and was celebrated at the White House by President Calvin Coolidge. The engineers raised money and bought him a house in North Memphis, which still stands…