James Lewis Algee, 1983

Born in Atwood, Tennessee, Mr. Algee came to Champaign in 1933 when he was twenty years old. For many years a highly regarded chef in the Champaign area, he worked at the Urbana Lincoln Hotel, Katsinas Restaurant, Jumer's Castle Lodge, and the Lamplighter. He especially valued his family and his reputation as a fine chef.

Source: Raymond Bial's In All My Years: Portraits of Older Blacks In Champaign-Urbana, Champaign County Historical Museum, 1983.