Joseph Lee

Joseph Lee (1862 – 1937) was a wealthy Bostonian, who trained as a lawyer but never practiced law, and is considered the "founder of the playground movement." He was the son of Henry Lee, a Boston banker, and Elizabeth Perkins Cabot Lee of Brookline, Massachusetts. He was a social worker, author, and philanthropist. Lee believed that community life could be strengthened by playgrounds and play.

Background

In 1897, Lee married Margaret Cabot. They had four children. Margaret Cabot Lee died in 1920 and Lee remarried his secretary, Marion Snow, in 1930. Lee's daughter, Susan Lee, was active in her father's work and later served as vice-president of the National Recreation and Park Association. His son, Joseph Lee Jr. helped establish the Massachusetts Committee to Further Outdoor Recreation and the Boston Board of Recreation and served as chairman of the Boston Park Commission and Boston School Committee.

Lee founded the Massachusetts Civic League and served as its President from 1897–1937. He was an active officer in the Immigration Restriction League from 1905 until his death in 1937. He served as president of the National Recreation Association from 1910 until the time of his death.

During the first World War he served as president of the War Camp Community Service for the U.S. Army. For this service he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army) in 1919.

Lee was among the first recipients of the Boy Scouts of America Silver Buffalo Award in 1926.