The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will welcome Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee to speak at Lunch With the League on Tuesday, Feb. 15, from noon to 1 p.m. EST. Justice Lee is presenting the compelling stories of five American soldiers captured and held as prisoners of war by the Germans in World War II. The virtual event is open to the public, and Lunch with the League welcomes League members and nonmembers alike to this informative presentation. For instruction on linking to the live presentation, contact maryannreeves1@att.net. All League members will receive an email with the Zoom link prior to the meeting. A couple of days following the presentation, the recorded presentation will be on the League’s website (https://my.lwv.org/tennessee/oak-ridge).
Courtesy of League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge:
Personal history led Justice Lee to her interest in WWII, specifically POWs and how their experiences shaped their lives after release. Justice Lee’s father was a WWII POW. Although Justice Lee describes her family as being very patriotic and her father faithfully flying an American Flag, their family did not talk about her father’s war-time experiences when she was growing up. Her interest in WWII POWs was sparked by Soldiers and Slaves, a book shared with her by then Chancellor Arnold Goldin, from Memphis, which later led her to research and prepare a presentation entitled American Heroes With Common Bonds. This presentation tells the story of five POWs—David Goldin, Hugh Ross, Harold Leibowitz, Charles Lee (Justice Lee’s father), and Bruce Foster, Sr.—whose children became lawyers and judges. Their common story is that of optimism, discipline, and an enormous desire to live. Once home, they raised families and instilled in their children a sense of patriotism and a desire to serve.
Justice Lee has served on the Tennessee Supreme Court for the past thirteen years. She graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee College of Business and the University of Tennessee College of Law. She was in private practice from 1978 until 2004, when she was appointed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Justice Lee was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2008, elected in 2010, and re-elected in 2014. She was Chief Justice from 2014 until 2016. Additionally, Justice Lee has served on the Knoxville Bar Association Board of Governors, as President of East Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women, and as a Board member for the Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women, the East Tennessee Historical Society, the Knoxville YWCA, and the Monroe County Boys and Girls Club. She has also served as a fellow of the American, Tennessee and Knoxville Bar Foundations, and as an honorary member of the 2014 Congressional Medal of Honor Convention Committee.
The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge is a nonpartisan political organization for men and women. It encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.