Home Index
Brigadier General
Richard R. Lee
Permanent Professor 1988–1997
B.S., University of North Carolina
J.D., University of North Carolina
Dick Lee, the Academy’s 54th Permanent Professor, was born in Shelby, North Carolina, in 1933. In 1955 he received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina and then went on to attain his Juris Doctorate there in 1958. After law school, he received a direct appointment as a first lieutenant in the US Air Force and began his lengthy career as the Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. In 1960 he was sent to the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, as Assistant Staff Judge Advocate. Dick came to the Air Force Academy in 1963, first to the Legal Office and then, in 1965, to the Department of Law, where over the next 14 years he was promoted through all the academic ranks from Instructor to Assistant Professor, to Associate Professor, to Tenure Associate Professor, and to Tenure Professor. He was instrumental in all aspects of the department’s mission; he wrote portions of the texts Introduction to Law and Law for Commanders, and he was a legal advisor to the Cadet Honor and Ethics Committee as well as a member of the Academy Honor Review Committee. Dick returned to Europe in 1979 as Director of Civil Law, HQ US Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He was shortly made Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for USAFE, then in 1981 Staff Judge Advocate for 17th Air Force, Sembach Air Base, Germany. From 1982 to 1984 he was the Staff Judge Advocate for 9th Air Force, Shaw AFB, SC. In 1984 Dick returned to Ramstein as Command Staff Judge Advocate for USAFE. During his four years in that position, he provided oversight for 39 separate legal offices in nine countries. Dick returned to the Academy in 1988 as Permanent Professor and Head, Department of Law. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar and is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court, the US Court of Military Appeals, and the Supreme Court of North Carolina. Dick Lee has a special interest in personal estate planning, and his reputation as an expert is widespread. He taught that law course to cadets for over 13 years, and he lectured extensively on the subject throughout the Air Force, including to all the professional military schools, to the commanders and senior staffs of all the major commands, and at many Air Force and Army installations in both the US and Europe. Also legendary is his ability to conduct business on the golf course. Dick was promoted to brigadier general and retired in 1997 after 39 years of active service.
After retiring, Dick served as the volunteer Vice President and General Counsel, 2000–2009, of The Falcon Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the Academy’s admissions process by providing preparatory school scholarships to deserving young men and women seeking to gain admittance to the Academy. He continues to live in Colorado Springs.
Update (2022): Dick Lee died in 2021 and is buried in the Air Force Academy Cemetery.