Résumé

Engineer, US Engineers, Honolulu, HI, 07/01/1941. He worked for the US Engineers on the 5th floor of the Young Building, Honolulu. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Hawaii, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 68, accessed 08/04/2022.)

Draftsman, Fred Langhorst, Architect, San Francisco, CA, c. 1948-1959.

Partner, Roger Lee Associates, Architects, Berkeley, CA, 1959-1981.

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA), East Bay Chapter, c. 1950.

Treasurer, AIA, East Bay Chapter, 1951.

Member, AIA, "Meet the Architect" panel discussion, 04/06/1953. Other members of this panel included Harry A. Bruno (1908-2002), John Hans Ostwald (1913-1973), and Frank B. Hunt (born 1915)."Economics in building, site selection and landscaping, climate control and how to overcome design prejudices will be discussed." This panel was presented as a part of the Sixth Annual Architects Exhibit held at Breuner's Furniture Store, 03/30/1953-04/11/1953, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects, East Bay Chapter. (See "Eastbay Architects to Present Exhibit Monday," Oakland Tribune, 03/26/1953, p. 43.)

Director, East Bay Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1954-1957.

When surveyed in 1962, Lee was a Certified Architect in CA and HI and was NCARB Certified.

Professional Awards

Received the Annual Award of Distinction, Producer's Council, American Institute of Architects, for work and service rendered to the profession, 1958.

College

B.A., University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Berkeley, CA, 1941. At UCB, Lee was a member of the Delta Sigma Chi Fraternity, the Chinese Students' Club and the Architectural Association.

College Awards

Two Bronze Medals for Distinguished Design, University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Berkeley, CA, 1940-1941.

Relocation

Roger Yuen Lee was born in San Francisco, CA, on 02/19/1920.

Lee lived at 2401 Prince Edward Street, Honolulu, HI, on 07/01/1941, while working as an engineer there. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Hawaii, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 68, accessed 08/04/2022.)

Parents

His father was Yum Lee (born c. 1860 in China), his mother, May Choy Chan (born 02/17/1886 in Napa, CA)

Yum Lee's entry into the US may have occurred on 05/31/1887 in San Francisco aboard the S.S. City of New York. All passengers on the manifest had a stamp "Landing Refused. Habeas Corpus. USDC Case." At the top of the page, presumably a customs official wrote "No certificates." The end column of the manifest for Yum Lee had the number "4492," perhaps a case number. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Lists of Chinese Passenger Arrivals At San Francisco, California; NAI Number: 4481626; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85, accessed 08/04/2022.) Another record for a "Yum Lee" arriving on 08/31/1886 in San Francisco aboard the S.S. Albany also carried the same stamps of "Landing Refused. Habeas Corpus. USDC [or USCC] Case." This may have been the same person or someone else with the same name. Either way, they were initially refused entry into the US likely due to restrictions on Chinese immigration. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Lists of Chinese Passenger Arrivals At San Francisco, California; NAI Number: 4481626; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85, accessed 08/04/2022.)

In 1910, Yum worked as a laborer in an Oakland fish cannery. He lived on his own in a boarding house for single Asian men, most of whom worked in local fish canneries. According to the 1910 US Census, this boarding house was located at #602 on "2 Nang Alleyway off New Harrison Street" in Oakland. The approximately 88 men listed in this boarding establishment ranged in age from 20 to 62. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Oakland Ward 6, Alameda, California; Roll: T624_71; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 0135; FHL microfilm: 1374084, accessed 08/04/2022.)

May arrived in San Francisco, CA, on 11/24/1911 aboard the S.S. Korea, following a visit to Asia.

He had the following siblings: Rowland Lee, Shirley Ming Lee Wong (born 09/22/1915 in San Francisco, CA-d. 09/27/1999 in CA)

Rowland Lee lived in Los Angeles, CA, in 1941, and was Roger's family contact person on his World War II draft registration card. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Hawaii, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 68, accessed 08/04/2022.)

Biographical Notes

At age 21, his World War II draft registration card described Lee as being Asian with a light brown complexion, standing 5-feet, 8-inches tall and weighing 140 pounds. He had brown eyes and black hair. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Hawaii, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 68, accessed 08/04/2022.)

SSN: 575261218.