Richard Charles Lee (sometimes called ""Mr. Urban America") was a Democrat and a longtime Mayor of New Haven (1954–70) and the youngest when he held the position in 1954 at age 37. Lee is best known for his leading role in urban redevelopment in the 1950s and '60s.

Biography

Richard Charles Lee was born on March 12, 1916. He grew up in a cold-water apartment in the working-class Newhallville neighborhood of New Haven. His father, Frederick, worked at the Winchester Repeating Arms Company

Winchester Repeating Arms Company

The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Winchester brand is today used under license by two subsidiaries of the Herstal Group, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah.-...

. He graduated from Hillhouse High School

Hillhouse High School

James Hillhouse Comprehensive High School is the oldest public high school in New Haven, Connecticut. It is a part of New Haven Public Schools.- History :Established in 1859 as New Haven High School,...

 in 1934.

After being defeated for mayor in 1949 and 1951, he won in 1953. During his first re-election campaign in 1957, John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

, then in the Senate, traveled to New Haven to campaign for him. To shore up New Haven's large Italian electorate, the mayor brought in Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...

, the boxer. He won that election by a 2-to-1 margin. He died of diabetes and heart disease

Heart disease

Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...

 at the age of 86 after serving 16 years as mayor, second-longest of New Haven's mayors at the time.

On May 17, 1999, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro

Rosa DeLauro

Rosa L. DeLauro is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is based in New Haven, and includes most of that city's suburbs.-Early life, education and career:...

 (D

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

-CT

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

) dedicated the Richard C. Lee United States Courthouse

Richard C. Lee United States Courthouse

The Richard C. Lee United States Courthouse is a monumental courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, located on the east side of the New Haven Green. Built between 1913 and 1919, the structure was spared from a planned demolition in the 1960s, and instead...

 in downtown New Haven to Lee. DeLauro worked with Senators

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 Christopher Dodd

Christopher Dodd

Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress....

 and Joseph Lieberman to rename the federal building, which stands at 141 Church Street. The Richard C. Lee Highway

Oak Street Connector

The Oak Street Connector, officially known as the Richard C. Lee Highway, is a long freeway section of Route 34 that is located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut...

, a freeway in downtown New Haven, is also named in his honor. A former New Haven public high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

, carried the name Richard C. Lee High School in his honor; it has been replaced by Career Magnet High School. The Richard C Lee High School building is now the Yale School Of Nursing.