George Avery Lee Sr. (1916 – 2008 December 23 in

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu ...

) was a

Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The word ...

and from 2001 onward, an

American Baptist American Baptist may refer to: * American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA), formed (as the Northern Baptist Convention) in 1907 * American Baptist Association, formed 1924 * American Baptist College, Nashville, Tennessee, formed 1924 by the National B ...

preacher. A graduate of Hardin-Simmons University (baccalaureate degree, 1958) and

Yale Divinity School Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...

(Master of Divinity), he served ministries in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...

and

Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...

, but for most of his ministerial career, he was associated with

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

' Saint Charles Avenue Baptist Church. He was known for supporting the expansion of civil rights and his active involvement in the New Orleans Federation of Churches. Lee was married twice, his first wife, Ann Rader Lee, dying in 1973; his second wife, Gladys Salassi Lee, died in 2002. He had three children: sons George Avery Lee Jr. and Gregory Lee and daughter Jeni-Su Lee Lacoste. Lee Sr. wrote 16 books in addition to numerous articles, Bible lessons, and devotionals. He retired from the ministry in 2005 at age 89. When

Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U ...

was attending graduate school at

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

of Louisiana in New Orleans, he attended St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church, and was baptized by immersion by G. Avery Lee. Later, after Gingrich began his political career, Lee joked that some had suggested he "didn't hold him under long enough."

Notes

Bibliography

* 1916 births 2008 deaths Baptists from Mississippi Hardin–Simmons University alumni People from Hattiesburg, Mississippi Writers from Lake Charles, Louisiana Writers from New Orleans Yale Divinity School alumni Baptists from Louisiana 20th-century Baptists {{US-writer-stub