George Bolling Lee was the grandson of General Robert Edward Lee. He was born on August 10, 1872, in Lexington, Virginia, to William Henry Fitzhugh Lee and his second wife, Mary Tabb Bolling. George had an older brother named Robert Edward Lee III; all the two children from his father’s first marriage died in infancy.
Personal Life
George Bolling Lee married Hellen Keeney in 1920; they had two children: a son named Robert Edward Lee and a daughter named Mary W. Lee. He was a great husband to Hellen for the 28 years they were together.
Education and Career
George Bolling Lee was educated as he studied to the college level; he earned his degree in 1893 from Washington and Lee University. He then joined the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University for his master’s degree. Upon completing his higher education, George Bolling Lee started working as a gynecologist.
George Bolling Lee was an intern at Bellevue Hospital for three years. In his career as a physician, George worked in several hospitals, including Bellevue Hospital. He was also a professor at the Polyclinic Medical School and Hospital, where he taught obstetrics and gynecology.
Due to his grandfather’s legacy, George received several honors, including an honorary degree from Gettysburg College. George Bolling Lee was the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation’s board of directors president. George was part of the Army medical officers during the first world war.
His Grandfather
George Bolling’s grandfather was the confederate general in the American civil war. Robert Lee joined the United States Military Academy in 1825 to study engineering; after four years, George’s grandfather graduated as the second-best student. Lee was then sent to Fort Monroe to design buildings, among other roles.
In the 1830s, George’s grandfather worker under General Gratiot as his assistant. He also served as a lieutenant. During the Mexican-American War, he was an aide of general Winfield and helped America win on several occasions; he often found routes through which they attacked Mexicans.
George’s grandfather was promoted from brevet major to colonel by the mid-1850s. Robert Lee was often away from his family and felt like he had failed. Sometimes, George’s grandfather refused to take some roles as he wanted to go and see his family, but in most cases, Lee was forced to do as required, and he had to obey.
In the late 1850s, George Bolling’s grandfather dealt with several enslaved people, some from his father-in-law, who died in 1957. Lee became the general of the US Army in 1865; however, his reign was short-lived as he surrendered to Union General Ulysses after being defeated in the battle. George Bolling Lee received an honorary award for his grandfather’s surrender years later.
Death
George Bolling Lee died on July 13, 1948, in St. Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan, New York, aged 75. He had battled a disease for a long time. George Bolling Lee greatly impacted his community; many people remembered him as a hardworking physician who was ready to help.
