Hyrum Rex Lee

Hyrum Rex Lee (born April 8, 1910 in Rigby , Idaho , † July 26, 2001 in San Diego , California ) was an American government official and governor of American Samoa .

biography

Lee joined the government in 1936 as an economist in the United States Department of Agriculture and was a member of the War Relocation Authority during World War II , where he dealt with the relocation of Americans of Japanese descent. Later, he entered the service of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Bureau of Indian Affairs), where he eventually rose to become deputy commissioner and this position occurred laws to improve the health, welfare and economic status of American Indians.

In 1961 he was appointed governor of largely undeveloped American Samoa . His appointment also signaled a greater effort by the US to fund the construction of schools, roads and houses to reduce the still rising illiteracy and poor health care. Based on an intensive program to modernize all areas of this outskirts of the United States , Lee started a new era in education and economic vitality. One of the innovations was educational television, which was introduced in 1964 when he successfully applied for state funding. During his tenure, a 101-room hotel was also established by the American Samoan Development Corporation as part of a campaign to cultivate the tourism industry . In addition to the construction of a hospital and two tuna processing companies , the Parliament (Samoan Legislature) also passed a law introducing an income tax in 1963 . When a referendum was held in 1966 on reunification with Western Samoa , the majority of American Samoa citizens voted to keep the territory with the United States. When his tenure as governor ended in 1967, he was awarded the Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service, a prize intended to recognize outstanding achievements in the service of the US government.

In 1968 he was finally appointed by US President Lyndon B. Johnson to one of the five members of the Federal Communications Commission , where he became a leading advocate of public television until he retired in 1973.

From May 28, 1977 to January 3, 1978 he was again governor of American Samoa, the last appointed governor of the territory. His successor Peter Tali Coleman of the Republican Party then took over as the first elected governor.

Web links

• Lee in the NGA