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.jpg "The body of Arthur Lee, 59, was found in an east Tennessee lake more than three weeks after he went missing on Feb. 22, 2022. Lee was a professor of geology at Roane State Community College.")
The body of Arthur Lee, 59, was found in an east Tennessee lake more than three weeks after he went missing on Feb. 22, 2022. Lee was a professor of geology at Roane State Community College.
Oak Ridge Police Department
Nearly a month after a 59-year-old college professor went missing in East Tennessee, police have pulled a body from the lake near where he was last seen.
Officials confirmed it was the man who disappeared three days later.
The Oak Ridge Police Department identified the body as Arthur C. Lee on Tuesday, March 22 – four weeks after he was first reported missing, according to local media. Lee was a professor of geology at Roane State Community College in Harriman, Tennessee.
“Our hearts are broken by this news,” the college said in a statement to McClatchy News. “Arthur was a truly wonderful person and a beloved friend, colleague, mentor and teacher. We have found some comfort over the past few weeks in sharing stories and fond memories of Arthur.
School officials said counseling services were available on campus.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Arthur’s family and close friends,” the college said. “He will be missed more than words can say.”
Lee was last seen Feb. 20 and was believed to have been in the Melton Lake Drive and Melton Lake Peninsula area of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, just outside of Knoxville, police say. Oak Ridge Police, Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Blount County Sheriff’s Office began searching for him around 11 a.m. on February 22.
The fire department also helped search Lake Melton Hill using a boat.
The lake is part of a reservoir created by the Melton Hill Dam with 193 miles of shoreline and 5,470 acres of water surface, according to Visit Knoxville. It is also home to a nationally renowned rowing course.
Police continued to follow leads regarding Lee’s disappearance over the weeks, to no avail.
Then, around 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 19, officers responded to reports that a body had been found in Lake Melton Hill near Calhoun’s, a lakeside restaurant, the Oak Ridger reported. Police later confirmed it was Lee.
Law enforcement said foul play was not suspected in his death, according to WATE.
Lee, who had a doctorate in geology from the University of Southern California, had worked at Roane State since 2000 and was a full professor, according to his LinkedIn page. He has also worked as a freelance textbook and website editor.
One hundred percent of students who rated Lee on RateMyProfessor.com said they would take his class again, calling him “passionate” and “intelligent.”
Several also commented on his sense of humor.
“His jokes are sometimes so bad you have to laugh,” wrote one student. “He’s a really nice guy and incredibly smart.”
Another former student, Tiffany White, told WBIR he was “more like a friend than a teacher because he has such a big heart.”
“He had a really big heart and he’s just a wonderful guy,” White said, according to the broadcaster.
In a Facebook post, a colleague from the Roane State Department of Philosophy and English said Lee was “an incredible educator, with a genuine passion for what he does, an incredible researcher, and a wonderful person to know.” .
“He was one of my first friends when I started college,” Ted Styrk said. “While I’m glad there’s at least some closure now, which is the best possible outcome given the reality we now know to be the case, the world has lost a bright light and is a lesser place to that. Rest, Arthur.
