[1][2] Born on 30 July 1936, in Rio de Janeiro, to a wealthy family, Lessa studied at private schools in his native city.

In 1980 he finished his doctor's degree in Human sciences at University of Campinas.

[1] In 2002, Lessa was elected Rector of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

His tenure lasted from January 2003 to November 2004 and his resignation was a result of multiple disagreements over economic policies with Central Bank of Brazil President Henrique Meirelles and Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Luiz Fernando Furlan[1][2][4] Lessa was a huge fan of Brazilian Carnival and founded Minerva Assanhada, a Carnival block composed mostly of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro students and personnel.

[3] Lessa died from complications of COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro on 5 June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil at the age of 83.