Across from the Lowman Student Center sits the Lee Drain building which houses classrooms, labs and the Department of college sciences. Thousands of students enter the building on a daily basis. But who is Lee Drain?
He was a student here at SHSU at one point in time. The Lee Drain building officially opened in 1985 and was originally named the General Purpose Classroom Building. It was dedicated to Lee drain in 1990.
Lee Drain grew up on Route 5 in McKinney and graduated from Princeton High School in 1942. Drain was an alumnus of Sam Houston State University. Along with this, he was also student body president in 1950, the president of the Alumni Association he received SHSU’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
He also served 18 years on the Texas State University System Board of Regents. The reason for the renaming of the building was due to Drain’s “continuous contributions to the Texas State University System and the state of Texas” as a whole. He was seen as an individual who dedicated himself to education and showed exceptional leadership.
He graduated from SHSU in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science degree and then continued to teach for a short time in the Wylie Public schools until he went into the air force where he was captain for almost three years. He attained a Master’s of Science from East Texas State University in 1953. He was a graduate of the Southern Graduate School of banking in Southern Methodist University with distinction.
He was senior vice president and corporate secretary and consultant to two of the nation’s largest banking establishments.
In a collection of letters, Drain and then university president Martin J. Anisman spoke of this honor given to Drain by the board and University as a tribute of their appreciation.
Drain had always embraced the affection he has for Sam Houston State University. He once said, “My emotions for Sam Houston run very deep. That school has given me a lot more than I’ve been able to give it.”
The 29-year-old building has served its purpose in providing an environment with the resources and equipment to help guarantee SHSU students. Drain has served his purpose as well which is representing a figure which the student body can admire and play as an example of the heights any current SHSU student can reach with a bit of selflessness and dedication.