Houston renames Terminal E at IAH to honor late Sheila Jackson Lee

A Houston Airport System Public Information Officer said Houston Airports is working with the family of the late congresswoman and the mayor’s office on a timeline to design and install a plaque that will officially change the name of the terminal. They aim to make the change by this summer.

In their own words

Lee’s family spoke during the council meeting, remembering her as a mother and grandmother who dedicated her life to Houston.

“As you all hopefully vote to rename Terminal E, we’re not affixing just a name to a building,” said Erica Lee Carter, Lee’s daughter and former U.S. representative. “We’re telling the world that Sheila Jackson Lee mattered to Houston, and her legacy lives on boldly, physically and permanently.”

Council member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz said this renaming was a “no-brainer” and she knew immediately that she was going to support it when the idea was brought to her.

Council member Letitia Plummer said this is the “most profound vote” this council has made.

“I think doing this dedication to the airport allows not only Houstonians to know who she is, but every single person that flies into that terminal,” Plummer said. “If they don’t know who she is, they’re going to get their phones out, and they’re going to Google her. And then they’re going to see why we named that terminal for her.”