Bee DeSelm grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and she earned a B.S. in Nursing in 1946 and a B.S. in Education in 1948 from Ohio State University. After she moved to Tennessee with her husband and children, she became involved in local politics in Knox County. She was one of the first women on the Knox County Commission and held her position for 22 years. Here she discusses her community and civic activities, including her involvement in the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, the Knoxville Women’s Center, and the League of Women Voters.