Norvel Lee won the light heavyweight gold medal in boxing at the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952 and was awarded the Val Barker Trophy.
21 Facts About Norvel Lee
1.
2.
Norvel LaFollette Ray Lee was born on September 22,1924 to James Jackson Lee and his wife, George Anna Ray in the small town of Eagle Rock in Botetourt County, Virginia.
3.
Norvel Lee had three siblings; a sister, Edna Mae, and two brothers, James Fitzhugh and George Edward ; George had a twin brother that died during childbirth.
4.
Norvel Lee was educated in the segregated public schools of Virginia, graduating high school from the Academy Hill School for Negroes in Fincastle, Virginia.
5.
Norvel Lee was baptized and he worshipped at the Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church in Gala, Virginia.
6.
In 1943, Norvel Lee was selected for flight training at the Tuskegee flight training program.
7.
Norvel Lee earned his wings but was not assigned a squadron because of a stammer.
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Floyd Patterson 8.
Norvel Lee served on a ground crew in the South Pacific at the end of WWII.
9.
Norvel Lee was promoted several times from 2nd Lieutenant, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
10.
Norvel Lee received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education from Howard University, Master of Arts Degree in Adult Education from Federal City College in 1969, and an ABD from Catholic University, all located in Washington, DC.
11.
Norvel Lee began his boxing career while enrolled at Howard University.
12.
Norvel Lee was awarded the Val Barker Trophy as the outstanding boxer at the 1952 Olympic Games.
13.
The US team won five boxing gold medals in the Helsinki Game, including one for seventeen-year-old Floyd Patterson who Norvel Lee mentored before and during the games.
14.
Norvel Lee maintained involvement in various administrative and policy-making boxing organizations, including serving as a member of the District of Columbia Boxing Commission for ten years; Chairman of the commission for six years; and member of the executive board of the World Boxing Association for four years.
15.
Norvel Lee was an inductee and past president of the DC Boxing Hall of Fame, and Chief Judge of, DC Boxing Commission.
16.
Norvel Lee was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of $5.
17.
Norvel Lee appealed to the Circuit Court of Allegheny County and lost.
18.
Norvel Lee appealed the case again and went before the Virginia State Supreme Court [Norvell Lee v Commonwealth of Virginia, Record 3558 ] and the judgment of the court was overturned, resulting in him winning the landmark case.
19.
On June 22,1951, Norvel married Leslie Ellen Jackson of Leesburg, Virginia.
20.
In 1991, Norvel Lee retired after 36 years of government service.
21.
Norvel Lee was listed in "Who's Who Among Black Americans".