The Lee Family papers consist mainly of personal correspondence roughly spanning the years 1840 to 1957. The majority of the letters are from the 1870’s through the 1910’s and are mainly correspondence between family members. A few of the letters are personal or business correspondence between the Lees and people outside the family, including letters having to do with both men’s duties at St. Lawrence. Also contained in the collection are numerous photographs, sermons prepared by both J.S. and J.C. Lee, and other ephemera.
The Lee family outside John Stebbins Lee's home in Canton.
Collection Overview
John Stebbins Lee (1820-1902) was born in Vernon, Vermont and was educated at Amherst College, graduating in 1841. He became a respected minister in the Universalist church and held teaching positions and pastorates in New Hampshire and Vermont. From 1858 to 1869, Lee taught Latin and Greek at St. Lawrence University, while also serving as the college's first President. After travelling through Europe and the Holy Land, Lee returned to SLU and taught at the Theological School for many years. He died in 1902 in Canton.
John Clarence Lee (1856-1940) attended local schools and entered St. Lawrence in 1872, graduating with an A.B. degree in 1876. He was ordained into the Universalist clergy in 1881 and held pastorates in Perry, NY and St. Albans, VT. From 1896-1899, John Clarence Lee served as the 5th President in the history of St. Lawrence. He died in September 1940 in Cambridge, MA.
This collection was donated by John Lee Wiegand, grandson of John Clarence Lee and great-grandson of John Stebbins Lee, in 2011.