Project Overview
Tom Lee Memorial | Tom Lee Park
Photo of Tom Lee circa 1925
David Alan Clark's Tom Lee Memorial commemorates and honors local hero Tom Lee. The bronze sculpture shows Tom Lee in the heroic act of May 8, 1925, when he saved the lives of 32 people from the waters of the Mississippi River when the steamer M. E. Norman capsized just south of Memphis. From his skiff the Zev, Lee ferried the survivors to shore, built them a fire, and notified local authorities. During the design phase of the project, David Alan Clark was able to collaborate with descendants of Mr. Lee. To learn more about the exploits of "Memphis' Greatest Hero," click here.
As stated by Ron Mcdonald of the Memphis Friends Meeting, “My dream is captured in the sculpture of Tom Lee by the river in Downtown Memphis. We are in need of a helping hand from someone different from us who has the moral authority of Dr. King.”
About the Artist
David Alan Clark
image courtesy of David Alan Clark
Born in Denver and raised in the high desert near Green River, WY, David Alan Clark produced his first commissioned bronze while still in his teens. After earning his BFA with honors from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, he worked in the advertising industry in Chicago, becoming Vice President of Creative before returning full-time to sculpture in Wyoming.
