Honoring the Life and Legacy of Emory Lee

About the Emory Lee Alumni Award

The Emory Lee Alumni Award, presented annually at the Stanford Asian American Awards Ceremony, recognizes a Stanford alumnus/alumna who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to Stanford and Asian American communities through leadership, service, and financial contribution. This award honors Emory Lee '59, MA '64, whose pioneering advocacy helped establish the foundation for Asian American support and representation at Stanford.

Emory's Legacy at Stanford

Emory Lee was a visionary leader who helped shape the Asian American experience at Stanford. As a co-founder of the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC) and longtime board member of the Stanford Alumni Association, he worked tirelessly to create spaces and opportunities for Asian American students and alumni. He served as Chair of the National Advisory Board for Stanford's Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and was inducted into Stanford's Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014. His advocacy, mentorship, and vision continue to guide our community today.

Emory's Life Story

Emory McCrea Lee was born on June 6, 1937, in Portland, Oregon. He was the youngest of 8 children, the son of Lee Wing and Gee Shee Lee, immigrants from the Taishan region of China who owned one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Portland, the Golden Dragon. 

After graduating from Cleveland High School in Portland, Emory attended Stanford University, earning his BA in biology in 1959 and his master’s degree in East Asian history in 1964. While at Stanford he met and married Ayleen Ito, who was then a student at Mills College. In 1964, he and Ayleen moved to Taipei, Taiwan, where he studied Chinese language and history for two years at the Stanford Center there.

Inspired by the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s, Emory decided to devote his career to public service. After working with troubled youth in San Francisco’s Chinatown, in 1970 Emory joined the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). True to his commitment to public service, Emory spent the next 40 years at HHS, eventually serving as Executive Officer and Acting Regional Director for HHS in San Francisco. 

Throughout his life Emory was deeply engaged in his community, playing a leadership role in advancing the interests of Asian Americans. He was a co-founder and board member of the Chinese Culture Center, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC), and an early advisor to Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI). He served on the board of directors of the Stanford Alumni Association and the Bay Area Partnership for Children and Youth, and as Chair of the National Advisory Board for Stanford’s Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. And he was fond of mentoring students and young professionals. In recognition of his contributions, Emory was inducted into Stanford’s Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014.

 Aside from his professional and civic endeavors, Emory had wide and varied interests. A long-time resident of Palo Alto, Emory was a passionate fan of Stanford sports, having attended nearly every home football game for over 50 years, where he relished the opportunity to reunite with former classmates. He loved attending the San Francisco Opera, Symphony, and Ballet, as well as events at Bing Concert Hall and TheatreWorks of Silicon Valley. And he was an obsessive collector, including of stamps, books on Asian American history, model Packards, jazz LPs, toy soldiers, and Sherlock Holmes memorabilia. He was proudest of his world-class collection of over 1000 Japanese folk toys.

Emory is survived by his wife of 65 years, Ayleen Ito Lee; a son, Randall Lee (Stella Jeong), of Los Angeles; a daughter, Marceline Lee (Philip Smith), of Davis; and five grandchildren (Conor, Aubrey, and Charlotte Lee-Smith, and Nick and Maya Lee).