[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 206 (Thursday, December 19, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1618-E1619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF DR. WILLIAM H. LEE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 19, 2019

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, it is with profound sadness that I rise to 
honor the life of beloved Sacramento Observer founder and publisher, 
Dr. William Hanford Lee, who passed away on September 22, 2019 at the 
age of 83. His legacy will live on through the love of his family and 
friends, as well as the Sacramento Observer, a lighthouse for 
Sacramento's African-American community. Dr. Lee was blessed with the 
support of his family, his wife Kathryn (deceased) and sons, Larry, 
Billy and Roderick (deceased).
  Dr. William Lee was born on May 29, 1936 in Austin, Texas. In the 
early 1940's, Dr. Lee moved to the Sacramento neighborhood of Del Paso 
Heights. As a young adult, he attended California State University, 
Sacramento and later transferred to University of California, Berkley, 
where he received his B.A. in Accounting. His brief employment with 
real-estate companies Aerojet and IBM Corporations inspired Dr. Lee to 
establish his own real-estate and land development company in 1960. His 
success in real estate allowed for the establishment of The Sacramento 
Observer on November 22, 1962, marking the beginning of a revolution in 
journalism.
  Several momentous achievements outline Dr. Lee's career: he was 
awarded an Honorary Ph.D. from Southeastern University in 1970, he was 
named ``Publisher of the Year'' by the West Coast Black Publisher's 
Association in 1985, his newspaper has been named No.1 Black Newspaper 
six times, and he was awarded the John B. Russwurm trophy, the United 
States' top newspaper publishing honor. Additionally, he was co-founder 
and former President of the Men's Civic League, co-founder of The 
Greater Sacramento Urban League, and co-founder of the Sacramento Area 
Black Caucus. Nationally, Dr. Lee served on the Board of Directors and 
as an officer for the National Newspapers Publisher's Association, the 
Black Press of America, and co-founded the West Coast Black Publisher's 
Association. These incredible achievements and roles certainly signify 
just how powerful William Lee's presence was in the Sacramento region, 
in California, and in our nation.
  Madam Speaker, today we honor Dr. William Hanford Lee's generous 
contributions to journalism and education; he has been a mentor, an 
advocate, and a leader--both locally and nationally. His efforts in 
providing representation for the African-American community will be 
remembered for a life-time.

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