Sherman Lee
| Sherman E. Lee | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Sherman Emory Lee April 19, 1918 Seattle, Washington |
| Died | July 9, 2008 Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | B.A. and M.A., American University; PhD at Western Reserve University, 1941 |
| Occupation | Art historian, curator, and expert on Asian art |
| Employer | Detroit Institute of Arts, Seattle Art Museum, University of Washington, Cleveland Museum of Art |
| Known for | Director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958-1983 |
Sherman Emory Lee (1918–2008) was an American academic, writer, art historian and expert on Asian art. He was Director of the Cleveland Museum of Art from 1958 to 1983.
Lee earned his B.A. and M.A. at American University in Washington, D.C. He was awarded his PhD at Western Reserve University in 1941.
Lee was "a renowned expert on Asian art." According to Philippe de Montebello, Lee will be remembered for "sensational acquisitions that transformed the Cleveland Museum of Art in all fields."
In 1941, Lee was named Curator of Far Eastern Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts. His museum career was interrupted by military service in World War II.
He returned to the United States in 1948. He was the Associate Director of the Seattle Art Museum and he taught at the University of Washington.
In 1952, Lee began work at the Cleveland Museum of Art as Chief Curator of Oriental Art. He was named Director in 1958, and served in this capacity until 1983.
He advised Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller on building their collection of Asian art.
After retiring from the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1983, Lee became an adjunct professor of art history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Lieutenant Sherman Lee was activated from the United States Naval Reserve during World War II. His naval career took a turn when he was transferred in 1946 to Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) in Japan. When he was discharged from the military, he continued working as a civilian in Tokyo. From 1946 to 1948, he was a civilian adviser to the staff of Gen. Douglas MacArthur (Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, also known by the acronym SCAP) on the cataloging, preserving and protection of Japanese artworks. Among those serving with Lee at SCAP headquarters in Tokyo were Patrick Lennox Tierney and Laurence Sickman.
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