Rex E. Lee papers on Solicitor General, 1973-1986

Series

Identifier: MSS 2017 Series 5

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Contains letters, directories, and legal documents related to Lee's service as Solicitor General. Materials date from between 1981 and 1985.

Dates

Creation: 1973-1986

Creator

Lee, Rex E., 1935-1996 (creator, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Donor restricted. Permission to use materials must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Please direct any questions to Reference Services at specialcollections@byu.edu.

Biographical History

From the Collection:

Rex E. Lee (1935-1996) served as solicitor general of the United States and as President of Brigham Young University.

Rex E. Lee was born in 1935 and grew up in St. John's, Arizona. He served a mission in Mexico from 1955 to 1958, then married Janet Griffin. He received a BA from Brigham Young University in 1960 and a JD from the University of Chicago in 1963. He held five honorary doctorate of law degrees. In 1963, he served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White. From 1981 to 1985, he served as solicitor general of the United States, after which he worked for the firm Sidley & Austin.

In 1989, he was named as President of Brigham Young University. During his tenure, he enacted policies that regularized procedures, contributed to timely graduation, and organized massive fundraising and construction. His long-term planning has affected university issues into the 21st century.

At the end of 1995, he stepped down as President due to health reasons. He passed away March 11, 1996.

Extent

68 boxes

5 folders

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

Arranged in five subseries: 1. Rex E. Lee correspondence, 1973-1985. 2. Rex E. Lee arguments files, 1981-1985. 3. Rex E. Lee briefs for Supreme Court, 1979-1984. 4. Rex E. Lee slip opinions files, 1983-1985. 5. Rex E. Lee Congressional directories, 1985-1986.