Joseph E. Lee
lawyer, judge, federal official, and Republican politician in Florida
The first Black lawyer of Jacksonville, Florida
Joseph E. Lee was a lawyer, judge, federal official, and Republican politician in Florida. He served six years in the Florida House of Representatives and one term in the Florida State Senate and was also a municipal judge and in various Federal positions in Florida. He was born in Philadelphia and earned his law degree from Howard University in 1873.
Upon receiving his law degree from Howard University in 1873, Lee moved to and begin his practice in Jacksonville. In 1874, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he served for five years before moving on to the State Senate. Several years later, in 1888, Lee was elected Municipal Judge of Jacksonville – the first African American in that position.
Lee was born in Philadelphia. He was a minister in the A.M.E. Church and married a woman named Rosa. Florida’s state archives include a photograph of him. The Jacksonville Historical Society has a collection of his papers. In April 2020, a talk was scheduled at the Jacksonville Historical Society on Lee.
Lee began to practice in Florida as Jacksonville’s first black lawyer. Joseph Lee’s achievements ranged over several aspects of public life. In 1874, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, serving as a member of that body for six years before being elected to the State Senate in 1880 for one term. The Republican party nominated Lee as a delegate to the Florida Constitutional Convention of 1885. In 1888, he was elected Municipal Judge of Jacksonville, defeating two white candidates for the post. As a political leader and statesman, Lee’s abilities were respected on the local, county, and state levels. He was a major force in the Republican Party of Florida for several decades. His leadership was recognized by national party figures as well. Lee received federal appointments as Customs Collector for the Port of St. Johns (1890-94, 1897-98) and as Collector of Internal Revenue (1898-1913). At the time of his death in 1920, he was a delegate to the upcoming national Republican convention. In addition to his wide political activities, Joseph E. Lee was also a leader in the religious and educational life of Jacksonville.
letter from Joseph H. Durkee requesting the number of votes registered in Duval County on October 29, 1882. Note: Joseph was the founder of the Durkee family in Jacksonville (namesake of the Durkeeville neighborhood).
At the age of 71 and while still practicing law in Jacksonville, Lee presided over the Florida Republican Convention in 1920.
As a result of his success in politics, Lee had relationships with several United States Presidents. During President William McKinley’s time in office, Lee was invited to speak with him at The White House. In 1905, during a tour through Jacksonville, President Theodore Roosevelt visited Joseph E. Lee at his home. Lee accompanied President Roosevelt to St. Augustine as well.
Several of the letters in this collection describe historic events. For example, this one which announced the assassination of President Garfield.
Jacksonville Public Library Digital collections