H. Rex Lee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Governor of American Samoa | |
| In office May 28, 1977 – January 3, 1978 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Frank Barnett |
| Succeeded by | Peter Tali Coleman |
| In office May 24, 1961 – August 1, 1967 | |
| President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Peter Tali Coleman |
| Succeeded by | Owen Aspinall |
| Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission | |
| In office October 28, 1968 – December 31, 1973 | |
| President | Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hyrum Rex Lee April 8, 1910 Rigby, Idaho, U.S. |
| Died | July 26, 2001 (aged 91) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lillian "Lily" Lee (October 1, 1912 – 2010) |
| Alma mater | University of Idaho |
| Awards |  President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service (1966) |
Hyrum Rex Lee (April 8, 1910 – July 26, 2001) was an American government employee and diplomat who was the last unelected governor of American Samoa. Lee served as governor from 1961 to 1967, and again briefly from 1977 to 1978. Governor Lee's administration from 1961 to 1967 saw the establishment of schools, a new airport, roads, Rainmaker Hotel, an educational television system, new harbor facilities, and a fisheries cannery. Tourism boomed and there was an increasing acceptance of Western institutions, lifestyles, and ideas. Many residents relocated to California and Hawai'i or joined the U.S. Armed Forces.[1]
Born in Rigby, Idaho, Lee studied agricultural science before working as an economist with the Resettlement Administration. He was then employed by the War Relocation Authority and became assistant chief of the Office of Territories in 1946, until 1950. That year he was appointed as associate (later becoming deputy) commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he was noted for his skills as a congressional liaison. In 1961, he was appointed as Governor of American Samoa as part of the incoming Kennedy administration, serving until 1967.
Lee was seen as a successful administrator by both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Following his service in American Samoa, he was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission, where he promoted educational television. He retired in 1973, continuing to promote educational television, but served another term as Governor of American Samoa until the first-ever elected governor assumed office in January 1978.[2]
- ^ Craig, Robert D. (2011). Historical Dictionary of Polynesia. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 21. ISBN 9780810867727.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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