 Designed by the renowned African-American architecture firm, McKissick & McKissick, the Universal Life Insurance Building, with its expansive limestone facade and unique Egyptian revival style, opened in Memphis in 1949 to great fanfare. Owned by the rapidly expanding Universal Life Insurance Company, which provided an array of community services with the goal of improving the economic condition of people of color, the building was also a meeting place for organizers of the civil rights movement, such as Jesse Jackson and Sammy Davis Jr. In 1973, Universal Life was the largest black-owned business in Memphis. After many decades of service to the community, the company closed its doors in the early 2000s. In 2006, Self and Tucker Architects purchased the building and began a decade-long journey to save the building. They used the federal historic tax credit and other financing to restore and enhance this historic space, and were able to do so with tight resources. In partnership with the City of Memphis, the work was completed in 2018 and now serves as the office space for Self and Tucker Architects and the City of Memphis' Business Development Center, which provides economic development resources for black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. We want to thank the National Trust for recognizing the Universal Life Insurance Building with its prestigious award. I also want to take time to thank my partner, Jimmy Tucker, and the great team of design professionals that made this possible. This project encompasses the preservation and adaptive reuse of a historic Egyptian Revival Office building designed by McKistick and McKistick Architects. It is prominently located on the Memphis Heritage Trail and embodies significant regional, civil rights history and national business history. And it's now home to our firm, Self Tucker Architects, and the City of Memphis Business Development Center containing multiple tenants. This innovative public-private partnership was a critical aspect of the successful building revitalization. Each day we are honored to build on this inspirational past for a promising and more environmentally sustainable future. We're thrilled and honored to be a part of this cultural, historic, and economic icon in the City of Memphis.