H. Rex Lee
Hyrum Rex Lee ( born April 8, 1910 in Rigby, Idaho; † July 26, 2001 in San Diego, California ) was an American government official and Governor of American Samoa.
Biography
Lee appeared in 1936 in the government service as an economist in the Ministry of Agriculture of the United States and during the Second World War Staff at the War Relocation Authority ( War Relocation Authority), in which he dealt with the relocation of U.S. Japanese-Americans. Later he entered the service of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Bureau of Indian Affairs ), where he eventually rose to become Deputy commissioner and this position came in laws to improve the health, welfare and the economic status of American Indians.
In 1961 he was appointed governor of the largely undeveloped American Samoa. His appointment signaled at the same time a larger effort of the United States to finance the construction of schools, roads and houses to reduce the still rising illiteracy and poor health care. Founded on an intensive program to modernize all areas of this outer region of the United States founded Lee so that a new era in education and economic vitality. Among the innovations it was the teaching television, which was introduced in 1964 through its successful applying for government grants. Under his tenure, a 101- room hotel by the American Samoa African Development Company (American Samoan Development Corporation ) was established as a part of the campaign to cultivate the tourism industry. In addition to the construction of a hospital and two tuna processing companies, the Parliament adopted ( Samoan Legislature ) in 1963, a law imposing an income tax. When in 1966 a referendum on reunification were held with Western Samoa, agreed the majority of citizens Samoa to remain in the territory of the United States. In 1967 when his term ended as governor, he was honored with the Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service, a price that special services should recognize the service of the U.S. government.
He was finally appointed by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson as one of the five members of the Federal Communications Commission ( Federal Communications Commission ), where he retired in 1973 a leading proponent of public television was until he joined in 1968.
From 28 May 1977 to January 3, 1978, he was again Governor of American Samoa and thus the last appointed governor of the territory. His successor, Peter Tali Coleman of the Republican Party then took over as the first elected governor of the office.