Lim Poon LEE (1911-2002)
Lim Poon Lee Building, US Post Office, Chinatown Branch (857 Stockton Street, San Francisco)
Lim Poon Lee came to the United States from Hong Kong when he was eight months old. He attended the College of the Pacific and Lincoln University Law School. During World War II, he was a counterintelligence specialist for the US Army. Lim Poon was the first Chinese American to be appointed Postmaster by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966. During his years as Postmaster, he revolutionized the postal service by significantly increasing the recruitment of minorities, women and people with disabilities. Lim Poon also served on the boards of the Chinatown YMCA, the Greater Chinatown Community Service Association, and the Chinese American Civic Council.
(Portrait by Joyce Bantugan, SFSU 2020)