Lee Simmons

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Lee Simmons, up in Grayson County. Now, some men go looking for a life in public service. Lee Simmons, born in 1873, had public service come looking for him.

The citizens of Denison showed up and asked him to run for sheriff. Not a suggestion, mind you. A request.

From the citizens. And when the citizens of Denison ask you something like that, well, you run. He ran, he won, and he served two years as sheriff.

That's how it started. But the story was just warming up. In the nineteen twenties, Governor Pat Neff appointed him to a special commission to inspect the Texas prison system.

Somebody in Austin had noticed Lee Simmons. Then in 1928, Governor Dan Moody named him to the prison board. Two governors, two appointments.

By 1930, Simmons had become general manager of the entire prison system, and the marker doesn't mince words about what followed. It says he made an outstanding record. That phrase is doing a lot of work, and it earns every bit of it.

He also organized the prison rodeo. Think about that for a second. A prison rodeo.

Out of all the things a man might build during his time running a prison system, he built that too. Now, Lee Simmons lived until 1957, and near the end he was working on his autobiography. He called it Assignment Huntsville.

He never finished it. Died before the last chapter was written. Some stories, it seems, outrun even the man who lived them.

What the marker says

(1873-1957) Ran for sheriff at request of citizens of Denison. Elected in 1912 and served two years. Was appointed by Governor Pat Neff to special commission in 1920's to inspect Texas prison system; named by Governor Dan Moody to prison board, 1928; In 1930 became general manager of prison system, where he made an outstanding record. Organized prison rodeo. Died before completing autobiography "Assignment Huntsville". Recorded, 1967