Damon and Rachel Lee Scholarship Endowment Fund

Damon Lee Jr. from Birmingham, Alabama met Rachel Carter of Johnson City, Tennessee, the future Mrs. Lee, at Tennessee State un 1934. Damon majored in History and minored in Chemistry and participated as a founding member of the Beta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Rachel majored in Business Education, while also being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. They both graduated from Tennessee State University in 1935 and 1937 respectively. Damon and Rachel married in 1941 and subsequently moved to Los Angeles, California. Damon later earned a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree and began a practice while investing in real estate and securities. Rachel secured her California Teaching Credential and became a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The Lee’s have two children, Damon Lee III, TSU Class of 1967, and Kimberly Rachelle Lee, Fisk University, Class of 1978. They are grandparents of the late Damon Lee IV o f Washington D.C. With an initial donation of $200,000, the Damon and Rachel Lee Endowed Scholarship Fund was launched in 1999. At the time it was the university’s largest ever single gift from an individual. This level of giving inspired other alumni and organizations and subsequently resulted in millions of dollars earmarked for university scholarships.