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Submitted by Charles L. Lee
Dr. Thomas Owen, the department's first director, was responsible for compiling the first sketches, which included the one on George Washington Lee, in 1903. He also included it in his monumental work, History of alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, in volume IV on page 1028. The impressive sketch on William Ithamer Lee was compiled by his wife, Maria B. Owen, the director in 1919. In answering Charles L. Lee's inquiry concerning these two men, Jon Morgan of the Senate Staff, also included the information that George Washing Lee served in the first legislative session held after the ratification of the Constitution of 1901. He stated that this was an historical occasion because the original provision of the Constitution allowed for quadrennial sessions of the Legislature. Our legislature is the only one in the United States to have met quadrennially from 1903-1943 under this provision. He noted that George Washington Lee was elected in November of 1902 and began his four-year term at midnight of the day he was elected. Here are the sketches in
their entirety:
"LEE, GEORGE WASHINGTON, Baptist minister, was born October 30, 1842, in Covington County, and died at McKenzie, Butler County son of Greenbery and Martha Jane (Taylor) Lee, the former a native of Putnam County Ga., who went to Alabama and resided at Westover, Covington County; grandson of Richard and Martha Taylor, of Putnam County, Mr. Lee received a limited education in country schools; was ordained a Primitive Baptist minister, November 15, 1871; was in ministry for forty years, serving churches Butler, Covington, Crenshaw and Conecuh Counties, and other places; was clerk of Antioch Primitive Association for thirty years and was pastor for thirty years of Elizabeth church. For ten years he taught school, and for two terms was tax collector of Butler County. He represented Butler County in the State legislature in 1903. During the War of Secession, he was a member of Co. B, and Co. C. Seventeenth Alabama infantry regiment, C. S. Army, and lost his arm at Vicksburg. He was a Democrat. Married: (1) February 17, 1864 to Rhoda A. E. Mitchell, daughter of R. M. J. Mitchell; (2) to Rebecca L., daughter of, Joseph Howell, of Butler County. Last residence: McKenzie."
"WILLIAM ITHAMER LEE, of McKenzie, representative in
the Legislature, 1919, from Butler county, was born August 13, 1876, in
Covington county, Ala.; is the son of Samuel Asberry and Hulda (Deal) Lee;
grandson of Eli and Sarah (Piles) Lee. The Lees came from England and settled
in South Carolina, later moving to Georgia and from there to Alabama. Representative
Lee received his education in the public schools of Butler county, Georgiana
high school and the State Normal School, Troy. He began teaching in 1898;
taught eleven years in the public schools of Butler, Covington and Geneva
counties and nine years as principal of the McKenzie public school; was
Mayor of McKenzie, 1912, and was elected to Legislature, l918. He is a
Democrat; a Methodist and a Woodman of the World. He was married Oct. 21,
l903, to Ethel Estelle, daughter of James R. and Mittie Harper, of McKenzie."
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