Howard Nathaniel Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Howard Lee
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Lee in a pamphlet published
during his 1969 mayoral campaign |
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| Chair of the North Carolina State Board of Education | |
| In office 2003–2009 |
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| Governor | Mike Easley Bev Perdue |
| Preceded by | Phil Kirk |
| Succeeded by | William C. Harrison |
| Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 16th district |
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| In office January 1, 1997 – January 1, 2003 Serving with Eleanor Kinnaird
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| Preceded by | Fred M. Hobbs Teena Smith Little |
| Succeeded by | Eleanor Kinnaird (Redistricting) |
| In office January 1, 1991 – January 1, 1995 Serving with Russell Grady Walker
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| Preceded by | Wanda Holder Hunt |
| Succeeded by | Fred M. Hobbs |
| Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources | |
| In office January 10, 1977 – July 31, 1981 |
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| Governor | Jim Hunt |
| Preceded by | George Little |
| Succeeded by | Joseph W. Grimsley |
| 28th Mayor of Chapel Hill | |
| In office 1969–1975 |
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| Preceded by | Sandy McClamroch |
| Succeeded by | James Wallace |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Howard Nathaniel Lee
July 28, 1934 Lithonia, Georgia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Lillian Wesley
(m. 1962) |
| Alma mater | Fort Valley State College |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1959–1961 |
Howard Nathaniel Lee (born July 28, 1934) is an American politician. He made history by becoming the first African-American mayor of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, serving from 1969 to 1975. He was also the first African American to be elected mayor of any city in the South where most residents were white.
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Early Life and Education
Howard Nathaniel Lee was born on July 28, 1934, on a farm near Lithonia, Georgia. His parents were Howard Lee and Lou Temple. After finishing high school in 1953, he started college at Clark College in Atlanta. This was a historically black college, meaning it was mainly for Black students in the past. In 1956, he moved to Fort Valley State College and graduated in 1959. He was the first person in his family to earn a college degree.
Military Service and Protests
In the summer of 1959, Lee was chosen to join the U.S. Army. He trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, and then learned to be a medical corpsman (someone who helps injured soldiers) in Texas. While stationed at Fort Hood, he organized two sit-ins in the nearby town of Killeen. These were peaceful protests against public places that separated people by race. After his second sit-in was reported, he was sent to Korea the next week. He worked as an ambulance driver until he was honorably discharged in 1961.
Life After the Army
After leaving the army, Lee moved to Savannah, Georgia. He worked as a juvenile probation officer, helping young people who had been in trouble. In 1962, he married Lillian Wesley. They moved to North Carolina in 1964, where he continued his education. He earned a master's degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. By 1965, he was teaching at both Duke University and North Carolina Central University.
Political Career
Howard Lee decided to get involved in local politics after experiencing unfair treatment due to his race in his Chapel Hill neighborhood. In February 1969, he announced he would run for mayor. On May 6, 1969, Lee was elected mayor of Chapel Hill. He was the first African American to be elected mayor in a city where most people were white, and the first in the South since the Reconstruction Era (the time after the Civil War). He won by a small number of votes but was re-elected two more times, winning by much larger margins each time.
State-Level Roles
In 1976, Lee ran for the Democratic Party nomination for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. He won the first round of voting but lost in a second election. In 1977, Governor Jim Hunt appointed Lee to lead the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development. This meant he was in charge of state resources and community projects until 1981.
Lee returned to elected politics in 1990 when he was chosen to serve in the North Carolina Senate. He served several terms, from 1990 to 1994, and again from 1996 to 2002. While in the Senate, he focused a lot on improving public education.
Later Public Service
On May 1, 2003, Howard Lee was elected chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education. This board makes important decisions about schools in North Carolina. In 2009, Governor Beverly Perdue appointed him as the new executive director of the N.C. Education Cabinet. This role involved coordinating leaders from public schools, community colleges, and universities. Because of this new role, he had to leave his position on the Board of Education.
Lee also served as a member of the North Carolina Utilities Commission. This group oversees companies that provide important services like electricity and water. He was appointed to this role by Governor Mike Easley in 2005.
In 2009, Howard and Lillian Lee were honored as "Town Treasures" by the Chapel Hill Historical Society for their important contributions to the community.
Non-Profit Work
After retiring from his public roles, Howard Lee started the Howard N. Lee Institute. This organization works to help minority males do better in school and improve their academic performance.
See also
