Alfred McClung Lee (1907-1992), noted sociologist, author and social advocate, was born in Oakmont, Pennsylvania and married Elizabeth Riely Briant, a sociologist and writer, in 1927. After attaining a B.A. at the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D at Yale University, Alfred McClung Lee began a long career of university teaching and scholarship. Lee wa a professor at the University of Kansas from 1934-1938, then became a lecturer and professor at New York University from 1938-1942. This relationship would continue until 1955, with Lee serving as a visiting professor. The next university at which he taught was Wayne University (1942-1947). Lee then left Wayne University to become a professor at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York from 1941-1971. He was Chairman of the Sociology and Anthroppoligy department at Brooklyn College fromm1951-1957, and in 1971 the college honored this distinguished professor by making him Professor Emeritus. He was also a Visiting Scholar at Drew University until his passing. Alfred McClung Lee was also a very active member and leader in large number of sociological, journalist,and humanitarian organizations both public and private. In his early career, his activities included being a public affairs specialist for the Twentieth Century Fund (1938-1940), executive director of the Summer Club at Yale University (1939-1943), executive director for the Institute for Propaganda Analysis (1940-1942), research consultant for the FCC (1941) and the Department of Justice (1943-1944), member of the board of directors of the ACLU in New York (1949-1956), president and co-founder of Society for the Study of Social Problems (1953-1954), and the chair of the committee of social science consultants for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educatoin Fund (1954-1957). In his later career, Lee was the Director and Professor for the Center for Sociological Resarch (a part of UNESCO) in Milan (1957-1958), president of the National Committee on Franternities in Education (1953-1960), the chair of a committee on public opinion in the Commission to Study Arts in New Jersey (1964-1966) and on the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (1967-1977) and his founding and presidency of the Association for Humanist Sociology (1976-1977). In addition, Lee was very active in local church and community organizations including the Unitarian Universalist Association as well as the fight for academic freedom. Lee was a proflic writer on subjects pertaining to the fields of sociology and journalism. Some of his books include The Daily Newspaper in America (1937), The Fine Art of Propaganda (1939), Race Riot (1943), Principals of Sociology (1946), Social Problems in America (1955), Marriage and the Family (1970), and Terrorism in Northern Ireland (1983). In commenting on his own career in Contemporary Authors, Lee said, "My books have been efforts to work for greater press freedom, for more popular understanding of communication processess, for greater equality of opportunity for all racial and religious groups...I have looked upon my writing as a way of helping to make life more livable for people." To the end of his life, Alfred McClung Lee worked for humanistic interest. By becoming a leader of many sociological movements, he tried to democratize these organizations and focus their attention on contemporary problems.
From the description of The Papers of Alfred McClung Lee; 192?-198? (Brooklyn College). WorldCat record id: 424619814
