In 1964, the famous cutting-edge journal Clinical Physiology published a meticulously researched article titled A Close-Up of Dr. Royal Lee: A Many-Sided Genius. Fascinating in both detail and scope, it told the story of how an unassuming Wisconsin farm boy became one of the most acclaimed nutritionists of the twentieth century. Dr. Lee helped create the alternative health care movement along with the organic whole food and agriculture movement. Even now, all these years later, Close-Up remains a thoughtful portrayal of Dr. Lee’s life and work.
While many holistic health professionals are aware of Lee’s visionary insights into nutrition and physiology, outlined in this bio are his numerous contributions to world-class engineering and discovery. With over a hundred U.S. patents, his inventions were integral to the U.S. technological success in WWII and later the space program. His inventions set the standards for cold-processing of nutritional foods and supplements. His Lee Engineering company supplied world leading electrical control devices used in dentistry, medicine, manufacturing, and making potent whole food nutritional concentrates.
Dr. Lee was witness to an unprecedented era in the science of nutrition, spearheading a revolution in the public perception of food and health. Indeed, the mid-twentieth century saw a drastic shift as Americans—influenced by glossy advertisements and misinformed at nearly every turn—turned away from real food and embraced fake nutrition in all its forms. Powerful food interests and the medical community claimed there was no association between skyrocketing rates of chronic disease and the introduction of synthetic vitamins and processed foods. But the fact remains: the American diet has only gotten worse, and the nation’s health has never recovered.
Despite this landscape, or perhaps because of it, Dr. Lee worked tirelessly throughout his career to promote a deeper knowledge of the interconnectedness of real food, good soil, superior nutrition, and lasting health. His great professional triumphs include the launching of the Lee Foundation for Nutritional Research and the high-quality whole food vitamin supplement brand Standard Process. What’s more, Dr. Lee’s work has been more than vindicated by an ever-growing body of research, and his observations guide those who study the clinical application of nutrition to this day.
Close Up of Dr. Royal Lee: A Many Sided Genius is no puff piece written by a hired freelance scribe. The author, Jonathan Forman, MD, is considered to be the father of ecological medicine and was cofounder of the Society of Clinical Ecology in 1965. For over a half century, the Jonathan Forman Gold Medal Award has been given annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of clinical ecology. Dr. Forman researched and wrote this piece out of his respect and awe for Royal Lee and published it in Clinical Psychology, the journal for which he served as editor in chief.
In this brief “close up,” general readers and practitioners alike will find a portrait of Dr. Lee and his many-sided genius. In order to preserve and pass on his story, Selene River Press is now repackaging the original article into a convenient booklet. We consider it a must-have item that will inform your practice with the “why” behind the esteemed Standard Process brand.
