- Howard Nathaniel Lee
Howard Nathaniel Lee (born
July 28 ,1934 ) is an American politician.On
May 6 ,1969 , Lee was elected mayor ofChapel Hill, North Carolina . He was the firstAfrican American to hold the position in a predominantly white city, and the first to do so in theAmerican South . Lee was mayor of Chapel Hill from 1969 to 1975, during which, among other things, he helped to create a useful city busing system. His election was considered a step forward for the ongoingAfrican-American Civil Rights Movement .In 1976, Lee sought the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of
North Carolina , but was defeated in the primary runoff byJimmy Green . In 1977, GovernorJim Hunt appointed Lee as the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, a post he held until 1981.Lee returned to electoral politics in 1990 when he was elected to the
North Carolina Senate . He served from 1990 to 1994 and 1996 to 2002. While in the Senate, he concentrated particularly on issues affecting public education. OnMay 1 ,2003 theNorth Carolina State Board of Education elected him as its chairman, succeedingPhil Kirk . He is also a member of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, having been appointed by GovernorMike Easley onApril 1 ,2005 .External links
* [http://www.ncpublicschools.org/newsroom/news/2002-03/20030501 "Howard Lee Elected Chairman Of The State Board Of Education"] - press release,
May 1 , 2003
* [http://www.ncuc.commerce.state.nc.us/overview/uclee.htm Lee biography] - North Carolina Utilities Commission website
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