Recently Released BYU President Dies

Rex E. Lee, former president of Brigham Young University, passed away on 11 March 1996 after a nine-year battle with cancer.

“He was a man among men, unusual and remarkable,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley at the funeral service. Brother Lee worked closely with the First Presidency during his six and a half years as BYU’s president, a position he resigned from in December 1995 because of increasing health problems. He was also the founding dean of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU from 1971 to 1981 and served as United States Solicitor General from 1981 to 1985. He was preparing to argue his 60th case before the Supreme Court at the time of his death.

Brother Lee was born on 27 February 1935 in California. His family moved to St. Johns, Arizona, where he was raised until he left to attend BYU. There he served as student body president and met his future wife, Janet Griffin.

In 1987 he was diagnosed with T-cell immunoblastic lymphoma, a form of cancer. Less than two years later Brother Lee was called to be the 10th president of BYU. He passed away less than three months after resigning.