Mike Lee

official U.S. Senate photo of Mike Lee c. 2011

Birth Name: Michael Shumway Lee

Place of Birth: Mesa, Arizona, U.S.

Date of Birth: June 4, 1971

Ethnicity: English, smaller amounts of Danish, Swiss-German, 1/32 Swiss-Italian

Mike Lee is an American politician, author, and attorney. A member of the Republican Party, he has been a U.S. Senator from Utah, since January 3, 2011, and Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, from January 3, 2019 to February 3, 2021.

Mike is the son of Janet (Griffin) and Rex E. Lee. His father, a lawyer and law clerk, was Solicitor General of the United States, from 1981 to 1985, and President of Brigham Young University, from 1989 to 1995, among other duties. Mike’s mother was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Département des Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France, to American parents. Mike’s brother, Thomas Rex Lee, was an Associate Justice of the Utah Supreme Court, from July 19, 2010 to June 30, 2022.

Mike is married to Sharon Burr, with whom he has three children.

Mike is a second cousin of Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Udall, from Colorado, Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Udall, of New Mexico, and Republican U.S. Senator Gordon H. Smith, of Oregon.

Mike’s paternal grandfather was Rex E. Lee (the son of John David Lee and Inez Louise/Louisa Hamblin). Rex was born in Arizona. John was born in Utah, the son of John Doyle Lee and Lavina Young. Inez was born in Utah, the daughter of Jacob Vernon Hamblin and Louisa Bonelli, who was born in Bern, Switzerland, and had Swiss-Italian and Swiss-German ancestry; she was the daughter of George Bonelli and Anna Maria Ammann, from Affeltrangen, Thurgau, Switzerland.

Mike’s paternal grandmother was Mabel Whiting (the daughter of Edwin Isaacson Whiting and Ethel Farr). Mabel was born in Arizona. Edwin was the son of Edwin Marion Whiting and Anna Maria Isaacson, whose parents were Danish, her father from Bachgaard and her mother from Jegindø.

Mike’s maternal grandfather was Smith Benjamin Griffin (the son of Benjamin James Griffin and Maud Smith). Mike’s grandfather Smith was a Treasury Attaché of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.

Mike’s maternal grandmother was Marian Ione Hussey (the daughter of Charles Henry Hussey and Mary Alice Lambert). Marian was born in Utah. Charles’ mother was English.

Sources: Genealogies of Mike Lee – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
https://www.geni.com