Glenn Lee was born near Eau Claire, Wisconsin on September 7, 1910. In 1933, he married Elaine Greenland. This union produced four children. Shortly after his marriage, he graduated from the University of North Dakota with a Bachelor's degree in business. From 1933 to 1944, Lee worked in the hotel industry, first as a room clerk, later as a manager and sales representative. During these years, he lived, at various times, in New York State, Arizona, Missouri, and Ohio. In 1944, Lee enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific. Following his tour of duty, he settled in Seattle and formed an export firm with Robert Philip, who was also a former naval officer.
In 1947, in conjunction with Hugh Scott, an experienced journalist, Philip and Lee formed the Scott Publishing Company and purchased the weekly Pasco Herald as an investment. Within months, the paper went daily and was re-named the Tri-City Herald in an effort to give a common identity to its Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco coverage area. Following Scott's 1949 departure, Lee became the Herald 's publisher. The Herald quickly developed a controversial reputation as a crusading newspaper. The paper's combative nature led to much litigation, including a libel suit from Franklin County Prosecutor William J. Gaffney, and, in 1949, a court order restraining the Herald from publishing articles on faulty construction at a housing development. The order was later lifted. A 1951- 1953 investigation of the Kennewick School District led to three libel suits against the Herald . In the midst of the controversy surrounding the investigation, Lee himself was elected to the Kennewick school board in 1953. During this period, Lee was also embroiled in litigation which resulted from his 1949 purchase of Mid-Columbia Publishers, Inc.
In 1950, contract negotiations with the Herald union printers broke down. This led to a strike/lockout. In 1955, Lee and the Herald filed suit against the International Typographical Union (ITU) and the rival Columbia Basin News, which was subsidized by the ITU. Lee's suit alleged that the ITU and the News had violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act by attempting to drive the Herald out of business. The suit went to trial in 1959 and was decided against the Herald . In 1961, this decision was affirmed on appeal. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a further appeal.
Following the Herald 's legal defeat, Lee devoted his energy and influence as a publisher to promoting economic development of the Tri-Cities and the surrounding region in conjunction with such politicians as U.S. Senators Warren G. Magnuson and Henry M. Jackson. Among Lee's major efforts were the drive for the Hanford steam plant, diversification of the Tri-Cities economy, an unsuccessful drive to bring an atom smasher to Hanford, lobbying to prevent closure of Hanford's nuclear reactors, a successful drive to construct Interstates 82 and 182, and strong advocacy of irrigated farming and hydroelectric projects. Lee was one of the founders of the Tri-City Nuclear Council, which was formed, in 1963, to promote economic growth and development in the Tri-Cities. The Herald was sold to the Mc Clatchy newspaper chain in 1979. Lee retired as publisher, but remained active in Tri-Cities affairs during the remainder of his life. Lee died in Pasco on August 8, 1985.
From the guide to the Glenn Lee Papers, 1906-1992, (Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)
