Loran - Smith

Loran

There are many Biblical references about the incompatibility in the afterlife for those who accumulated wealth on earth, and while no living person, sinner or saint, knows what awaits, I believe Tom Cousins will be in the quarters reserved for the most special of people. He certainly was a good and faithful servant. A stranger, perusing his resume would easily conclude at first glance that this was an extraordinarily accomplished man who was given a healthy dose of altruism at birth.

It is hard for super successful people not to be about themselves. Tom was just the opposite. He was never about trophies, plaques, awards, and 30-point headlines. He was the ultimate dealmaker, helping change Atlanta’s skyline, but he never took any bows. He appreciated the game of golf and grew up playing East Lake, which was the home of Bobby Jones, the celebrated Grand Slam champion in 1930. The four major championships of Jones’ era were the Amateur and Open championships of the United States and Great Britian.

With the passing of time, East Lake fell into disrepair with the Atlanta Athletic Club moving to Duluth with new facilities which included two 18-hole courses designed by Rees Jones. East Lake, designed by Donald Ross, was continued by the many friends and aficionados of the legendary golf layout.

It reached a point where it was not safe to play the golf course. Golfers were robbed at gunpoint, which contributed to the closing of the course.

When Cousins learned that the East Lake property would be sold at auction, he bought the property and set about restoring it to its original design and making the community classic and viable.

The East Lake Meadows apartment complex was so crime ridden that it was known as “Little Viet Nam.” Things were askew, things were a mess. Cousins wanted to do more than restore the East Lake golf course to prominence which he did, eventually getting the PGA Tour to establish the Tour Championship to Atlanta, he also wanted to rehabilitate the community.

He did that too, partnering with the Atlanta Housing Authority and community leaders to construct mixed-income housing, a YMCA, and an elementary school. When he was honored with the Bob Jones Award by the United States Golf Association in 2001, he expressed humility in being recognized and said: “I am just a part of a dedicated team with the East Lake Community Foundation with the purpose of changing people’s lives for the better.”

This initiative became known as “Purpose Built Communities,” which continued from page

other cities have adopted and is changing lives across America. More than 25 cities have a version of the plan which Cousins founded. He was a visionary who took on big projects which changed Atlanta’s skyline and helped make Atlanta a truly great city.

A graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, Cousins bought the NBA franchise, the Hawks, and moved the team from St. Louis to Atlanta. He originated the Atlanta Flames, a National Hockey League team.

In addition to his long-time support of his alma mater, he also was a generous contributor to Auburn, his wife, Ann’s alma mater. (Ann Draughon is the daughter of the long-time president of Auburn, Ralph B. Draughon).

During his peak development years, there were occasions when I would visit him in his homebase in Buckhead. There were a couple of times when it was for an interview but sometimes just to talk. You could learn so much from him when he found the time to discourse over lunch.

He was a busy man, but he would take the time to talk about his alma mater and the sports scene. He was a generous and gracious man whose reputation for selflessness was off the charts.

“You met Tom Cousins and you knew you were with a born leader,” said one of his friends Jim Nalley, one of Atlanta’s premier titans in the automobile business. “He was the rising tide that lifted all boats which influenced Atlanta’s becoming a major league city in every respect.”

Billy Payne, who brought the ’96 Olympics to Atlanta and became Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club, was an entrenched admirer of Cousins. “Tom had the best combination of intellect, ethics, and devotion to his faith of any man I have ever met. What a wonderful human being he was.”

You will find glowing tributes all across the country for this great man.