Jerry C. Lee (born November 21, 1941) was the sixth president of

Gallaudet University Gallaudet University ( ) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children. It was the first sc ...

(Gallaudet College until 1986) from 1984 to 1988, later becoming the President of

National University A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. Some national universities are associated with national cultural or po ...

La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

from 1989 to 2001 and Chancellor of the reorganized National University System from 2001 to 2013.

Early life, family and education

Lee received a bachelor degree from

West Virginia Wesleyan College West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. It has an enrollment of about 1,400 students from 35 U.S. states and 26 countries. The school was founded in 1890 by the West Virginia Conference of the Methodist E ...

in 1963 where he studied history and psychology and was interested in sports and business. He then earned both an master of arts degree (1975) and an

doctor of education The Doctor of Education (Ed.D. or D.Ed.; Latin ''Educationis Doctor'' or ''Doctor Educationis'') is (depending on region and university) a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for a ...

degree (1977) from

Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six regi ...

(Washington Dulles International Airport program). He had been enrolled in the West Virginia Graduate School of Industrial Relations from 1963 to 1964, but did not obtain a graduate degree, then studied for two years at the

University of Baltimore School of Law The University of Baltimore School of Law, or the UB School of Law, is one of the four colleges that make up the University of Baltimore, which is part of the University System of Maryland. The UBalt School of Law is one of only two law schools i ...

from 1967 to 1969, but did not earn a J.D. degree.

Career

Lee worked as a management trainee/industrial relations administrator at

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

Fisher Body Fisher Body was an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan. A division of General Motors for many years, in 1984 it was dissolved to form other General Motors divisions. Fisher & Company (originally Allo ...

Division from 1964 to 1965. He was Vice President of Administration at Commercial Credit Industrial Corporation in suburban Washington, DC, from 1965 to 1971. From 1971 to 1977, he served as the Director of General Services (Business/Administration) at Gallaudet and was promoted to Assistant Vice President for Business Affairs there in 1978 and promoted again to Vice President of Administration and Business in 1982. In 1986 he was a member of the board of directors of the Deafness Research Foundation. During Lee's tenure as president of Gallaudet, satellite campuses were established in Hawaii, Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. He had previously announced upon accepting the position of Gallaudet president that he was only serving on a temporary basis. In August 1987, Lee was hired by Jane Bassett Spilman, Gallaudet's board chair, to work as a vice president at

Bassett Furniture Bassett Furniture Industries is a furniture manufacturer and retailer, headquartered in Bassett, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1902, by John D. Bassett, Charles C. Bassett, Samuel H. Bassett, and Reed L. Stone. Bassett Furniture is on ...

of southwestern Virginia, whereupon he stepped down as Gallaudet President. In 1989, he was hired to become the President of National University, headquartered in California, which served students in California, Nevada, and Costa Rica. He was promoted to chancellor in 2001 when National University was reorganized. He retired in 2013. He served in the US Army Reserve from 1966 to 1972.

Speeches and publications

* "Deafness: The Next Ten Years," ''Journal of Rehabilitation'', Vol. 51, No. 4, Oct/Nov/Dec 1985 * "Deaf Education in America," presentation to the Chicago Laryngological and Otological Society, Chicago, Illinois, March 1986.

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Jerry C. 1941 births Living people General Motors people Presidents of Gallaudet University Virginia Tech alumni West Virginia Wesleyan College alumni