The term “Renaissance man” gets thrown around a lot these days. But if there’s anyone who undoubtedly met the definition of a Renaissance man, it’s Tom Cousins, an Atlanta icon who died on July 29 at the age of 93.

Cousins is probably best known as the real estate developer who, along with John Portman, helped shape the modern downtown Atlanta skyline in the 1970s and 1980s. But Cousins also played a major role in the city’s professional sports scene, purchasing the St. Louis Hawks and bringing them to Atlanta in 1968.

In 1995, Cousins purchased East Lake Golf Club, the historic home course of Bobby Jones that had fallen into disrepair. Cousins had a vision not only of restoring the golf course to its former glory, but also rejuvenating the community around the club that had become known

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