Inducted: 2018
CHRIS LEE (1955- ) began his journalism career in high school in Buffalo, Missouri, at radio station KBFL from 1971-1973 while also writing articles for the local weekly newspaper. He worked at the University of Missouri NBC affiliate KOMU-TV from 1975-1977 and graduated with a B.A. from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1977. Lee joined KOCO-TV Oklahoma City as news photographer 1977 and was chief photographer from 1980 to 1984. In 1979, he covered tornado damage in Wichita Falls, Texas, and became interested in severe weather coverage. Learning all he could about storms and severe weather, he designed much of what became the First Alert Storm Team. In 40 years at KOCO, he has covered many life-changing news stories: the Star School explosion, the May third tornado outbreak, Hurricane Katrina and the Oklahoma City bombing. He was born in Palo Alto, California, and raised on a 250-acre farm in southwest Missouri.
