[4] During his time at Stanford, he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and played football under Pop Warner.

[3] Following the war, he served as a military government officer in Germany, where he helped draft ordinances for the first free local elections, set up a civilian court and occupation police system, and supervise repatriation camps for displaced persons.

In 1952, when Mike Mansfield decided to run for the Senate against Zales Ecton, Metcalf successfully campaigned for the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana's 1st congressional district.

[5] In the general election, he narrowly defeated his Republican opponent, former U.S. Attorney Wellington D. Rankin, by a margin of 50%-49%.

[1] He became known as one of Congress's "Young Turks" who promoted liberal domestic social legislation and reform of congressional procedures.

[1] In the general election, he narrowly defeated Republican Orvin B. Fjare, a conservative former U.S. Representative, by a margin of 51%-49%.

[9] Regarded as "a pioneer of the conservation movement,"[8] Metcalf worked to protect the natural environment and regulate utilities.

[8] In 1962, he introduced a "Save Our Streams" bill to preserve natural recreation facilities and protect fish and wildlife from being destroyed by highway construction.

[3] In June 1963, because of the illness of President pro tempore Carl Hayden (D-AZ), Senator Metcalf was designated Permanent Acting President pro tempore of the United States Senate to carry out Hayden's duties at this time.

At age 66, Metcalf died of a heart attack in his sleep at his home in Helena on January 12, 1978,[10][11][12] and was cremated; his ashes were scattered in one of his favorite areas in the wilderness of Montana.

[13] In 1983, by act of Congress, the Lee Metcalf Wilderness area was created in southwestern Montana in his honor.