Philip R. Lee, M.D.

Chancellor 1969-1972

Philip R. Lee, M.D., UCSF's third chancellor, led the campus during a time of political and social turmoil. Dr. Lee's understanding of social forces and his close relationship to students and staff allowed UCSF to continue its commitment to academic excellence and affirmative action. He has been especially noted for his efforts to stimulate minority recruitment and enrollment. Dr. Lee retired his chancellorship to create the UCSF Institute for Health Policy Studies, the first of its kind in the United States. While at UCSF, Dr. Lee served as Professor of Social Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine, and as Co-Director of the Institute of Health and Aging at the School of Nursing.

As one of the nation's foremost authorities in the study of equal access to health care, Dr. Lee was a frequent adviser to federal health policy makers. He served as the first president of the Health Commission for the City and County of San Francisco, having been appointed by Mayor Feinstein to head the commission at its founding in 1985. In 1986, he was appointed chair of the Physicians Payment Review Commission established by the U.S. Congress. Dr. Lee, Professor Emeritus of Social Medicine, currently serves as Special Assistant to the Dean of the School of Medicine. Dr. Lee, a national figure before he came to UCSF, served as the first U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.