[3] His thesis, "The Free Soil Movement in the 1840s", was based on correspondences between his ancestors and Presidents, cabinet members, and others from his family's private collection.

[1] Lee entered politics shortly after the end of the Second World War, serving as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1948, and later in 1960 and 1964.

He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1954, and served until 1962, when he made an unsuccessful bid for the United States Senate.

[3] In 1966, Lee entered the Maryland State Senate, where he served on the Finance Committee as vice chairman and in the Legislative Council.

Mandel's decision was the result of a stroke, as well as federal political corruption charges that were linked to some $200,000 in gifts received.

[3] Even with the added boost of serving as acting governor, Lee was not able to overcome the severe damage the Mandel Administration had taken as a result of the corruption trial.

[6] In 1980, Lee was appointed to the University of Maryland, College Park Board of Regents, where he served until his death from cancer at his home in Silver Spring on October 25, 1985.