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A Legacy of Leadership
Did the Jesse Lee Home benefit Alaska when it was operating? The Jesse Lee Home was critical in the development of the State as we know it. It was at the Jesse Lee Home that the Alaska flag was designed and sewn with eight stars of gold on a blue field, which proudly made its way to meet the sky for the first time on July 9, 1927, a day that became Alaska Flag Day. A memorial needs to be placed on this site. The Jesse Lee Home has many alumni who went on to become leaders and distinguished professionals, such as Benny Benson and Dr. James Simpson. Benny Benson, at the age of 13, designed the Alaska flag at the Jesse Lee Home. Dr. James Simpson is currently writing a book about his fond experiences while living at the Jesse Lee Home. Dr. Simpson is an active supporter of this project and continues to provide resources and guidance to the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home and the City of Seward. The Jesse Lee Home was the primary non-Bureau of Indian Affairs educational facility in the Territory of Alaska. The Jesse Lee Home preserved our regional integrity when epidemics were decimating village populations. The Jesse Lee Home provided for many children and kept them from being placed in the "Lower 48" BIA programs. The success of the Jesse Lee Home demonstrated Alaska's self-sufficiency in the provision of social services, one of the criteria for statehood. |
