[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 16, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2141-E2142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO SHERIFF HARRY LEE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 16, 2007

  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay respect and tribute to 
one of law enforcement's finest and the only Chinese-American Sheriff 
in the Nation, Harry Lee of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Sheriff Lee 
died of leukemia on Monday, October 1 at the age of 75. I had the 
pleasure of meeting Sheriff Lee during the House Democratic Caucus' 
Katrina Task Force trip to the Gulf Coast. He was a fixture in 
Louisiana politics and a fine example of Asian Pacific American 
leadership.
  Sheriff Lee had a humble beginning, the son of Chinese immigrant 
parents and the oldest of eight children. His parents instilled in him 
a strong work ethic and a determined spirit which served him well in 
his educational and occupational pursuits.
  After a promising educational start at Francis T. Nicholls High 
School, where he served as both senior class president and student body 
president, a school first, Mr. Lee went on to college at Louisiana 
State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in geography. 
While at LSU, Mr. Lee participated in the ROTC program and was 
designated an outstanding ROTC cadet. Upon graduation, Mr. Lee entered 
the Air Force and, as a Junior Officer in the Strategic Air Command was 
rated in the top two percent of Junior Officers in the entire Air 
Force.
  Returning to Louisiana in 1959, Mr. Lee helped his family open the 
famous House of Lee Restaurant. Because of his leadership, Mr. Lee was 
elected president of the New Orleans Chapter of the Louisiana 
Restaurant Association in 1964. His fellow restauranteurs credit his 
leadership for the peaceful integration of restaurants in New Orleans 
after the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  Soon after, Mr. Lee enrolled at the Loyola University School of Law 
while working 12 hour days at the family restaurant. Mr. Lee's 
diligence paid off as he was named the first Magistrate for the U.S. 
District Court in New Orleans in 1971. Due to his outstanding 
leadership abilities, Mr. Lee was elected President of the National 
Council of United States Magistrates in 1973. He subsequently became 
the chief attorney for Jefferson Parish in 1976.
  In 1979, Mr. Lee was elected Sheriff of Jefferson Parish, a position 
he held for more than two decades, earning him the distinction as the 
second-longest serving sheriff in Jefferson Parish history. Under his 
watch, Mr. Lee modernized the Sheriff's Office and led Jefferson Parish 
to a homicide solve rate of more than 90 percent. An unconventional 
leader who

[[Page E2142]]

often shot from the hip, Mr. Lee was fiercely loyal to his deputies and 
earned the respect of even his most vocal adversaries. Mr. Lee soon 
became a household name in Louisiana and was inducted into the 
Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in 2001.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering Sheriff 
Lee, a dedicated community leader and great friend to all. I would like 
to extend my most heartfelt condolences to Sheriff Lee's wife, Lai, his 
daughter, Cynthia Sheng and his two grandchildren. He will truly be 
missed.

                          ____________________