Joseph Lee (American politician)
| Joseph Lee | |
|---|---|
| Chairman of the Boston School Committee | |
|
In office 1970–1970 |
|
| Preceded by | John J. Kerrigan |
| Succeeded by | Paul Tierney |
|
In office 1962–1962 |
|
| Preceded by | Madeleine Reilly |
| Succeeded by | Louise Day Hicks |
|
In office 1956–1956 |
|
| Preceded by | Mary K. Fitzgerald |
| Succeeded by | John P. McMorrow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1901 Boston |
| Died | November 6, 1991 (aged 90) Boston |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Kathleen Nolan (?-1951; her death) Ariel Foley Duff (1960-1990; his death) |
| Alma mater | Harvard College |
Joseph Lee (1901-1991) was an American politician who served ten terms on the Boston School Committee.
Lee was born in 1901 in Boston. His father, Joseph Lee, was a recreation advocate and Boston School Committee member known as the "father of the American playground". His grandfather, was a founder of Lee, Higginson & Co.. He graduated from Harvard College in 1922 and then attended the University of Texas. After graduating, Lee worked on a ranch in Wyoming, the Fore River Shipyard in Massachusetts, and was a reporter for the Boston Post. He also worked for fourteen years as a freelance writer. During World War I he served in the United States Marines.
In 1937, Lee was elected to the Boston School Committee. He was reelected in 1939. During his first stint on the committee, Lee was credited with introducing 7th, 8th and 9th grade economics courses. He attempted to eliminate Latin and foreign language courses, stating that "only modern language of today in the language of economics." In 1940, he stated that a proposed pay increase for female teachers would "encourage birth control and race suicide."
In 1940, Lee ran for a seat on the Massachusetts Governor's Council, but lost the Democratic primary to Daniel H. Coakley. In 1941, he ran for Mayor of Boston. He finished a distant third behind incumbent Maurice J. Tobin and former Mayor James Michael Curley, but ahead of another former Mayor, Malcolm E. Nichols. In 1942 Lee lost the Democratic primary for the United States Senate seat held by Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.. He finished third in the Democratic primary behind Joseph E. Casey and John F. Fitzgerald, but ahead of Coakley. Lodge resigned in 1944, and Lee ran in the special election. He finished second in the Democratic primary with 26% to John H. Corcoran's 34%. In 1945, Lee once again an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of Boston. The following year he lost his bid for the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts' 11th Congressional district.
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