Born to Jack Harold Lee and Bernice Kamesar Lee on August 27, 1948, Mordecai Lee
distinguished himself as a Wisconsin State legislator, Jewish community leader, and
political science professor in the city of Milwaukee. As a youth, Lee was heavily
influenced by Vietnam, Civil Rights, and federal governmental policy, both foreign and
domestic. This interest in government and politics led Lee to earn a Ph.D. in Public
Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse
University in 1975.
In 1974 Lee served as an aide to Congressman Lynn Alderman, and one year later, he became
an aide to Congressman Henry Reuss. By 1976, Lee decided to run for the 31st State
Assembly seat vacated by Paul Sicula, which he won by over 10,000 votes. In 1982, after
six years in the Assembly, Lee defeated Republican Michael Sullivan to win a State Senate
seat in the 5th District. After two successful terms in the Senate, Lee resigned from
public office on September 1, 1989.
Prior to retiring from the Wisconsin Legislature, Lee held the following committee
positions between 1980-1989: Chairman of the Committees on Government Operations, Urban
Affairs, Utilities, Energy, Housing and Environmental Resources; Co-Chairman of the Joint
Audit Committee; and Committee panel member on Local Affairs, State Affairs, Higher
Education, Criminal Justice and Public Safety, and Judiciary and Consumer Affairs. In
addition, from 1988-1989, Lee served as a member of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage
Commission and Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee.
On August 9, 1990, Mordecai Lee replaced Judy Mann as the Executive Director of the
Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations (MJCCR). This nonprofit agency is
composed of twenty-five local Jewish organizations, including the American Jewish
Federation, and has an annual operating budget of $250,000. As Executive Director, Lee
served as a local Jewish public relations ambassador for racial, religious, and ethnic
tolerance in Milwaukee. In this capacity, Lee was a strong advocate for protecting First
Amendment rights, strengthening the Middle East Peace process between Arabs and Jews,
preserving the existence of Israel, and promoting cultural unity in response to crimes of
hate and terror.
After seven years Lee stepped down as MJCCR's Executive Director in 1997. He was
succeeded by Paula Simon. Lee accepted a tenure track position as Assistant Professor of
Government Affairs at UW-Milwaukee. Lee also serves as the Outreach Coordinator for
UW-Extension Public Administration classes and re-certification requirements. Lee still
holds this dual academic position.
