Mayor Lurie Unveils Bust of Late Mayor Ed Lee at City Hall

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today unveiled a bust of former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee at City Hall alongside the late mayor’s family, friends, and former colleagues. Mayor Lee served as San Francisco’s 43rd Mayor from 2011 until his passing in 2017 and was the city’s first Chinese American mayor. Today marks the eighth anniversary of Mayor Lee’s death.  

“When you hear the stories about Mayor Lee, they often extend beyond his legacy in public service. People speak about his character. They speak about who he was as a person,” said Mayor Lurie. “As I worked alongside Mayor Lee, I saw how genuine he was. How hard he worked. And how deeply he cared for San Francisco. To the Lee family: thank you for letting San Francisco share a part of his story. It is my honor to join you in unveiling this tribute to Mayor Ed Lee.” 

The child of immigrants from Guangdong, China, and raised in public housing in Seattle, Mayor Lee worked as a housing rights attorney at Asian Law Caucus, before joining city government and serving in numerous public roles. During his career, he served as the executive director of three city departments—Human Resources, Human Rights Commission, and Public Works—and was appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom to serve two terms as City Administrator. As City Administrator, Lee implemented San Francisco’s first ever 10-year capital plan and oversaw the reduction of government waste. 

In 2011, Lee was thrust into the spotlight when he was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve as Mayor, filling the vacancy left by Newsom’s move to Lieutenant Governor. Lee was elected Mayor the following year. As Mayor, Lee established a reputation for forging consensus around difficult problems and delivering concrete results for the public. He overhauled the city’s sewer system, revitalized the Mid-Market neighborhood, and upgraded the Hetch Hetchy water and power system. His leadership attracted jobs to the city and yielded historic lows in unemployment rates, while prioritizing raising the minimum wage, reducing chronic homelessness, and building new affordable housing.  

Mayor Lee’s contributions can be seen across the city today. He oversaw the expansion of the Moscone Convention Center and convinced the Golden State Warriors to move back to San Francisco. The Chase Center, the Warriors’ home in Mission Bay that opened in 2019, now features a life-sized sculpture of Mayor Lee, created by artists Jonah Hendrickson and Deborah Samia. The International Terminal at the San Francisco Airport, where Mayor Lee launched a $5.7 billion capital improvement program, is now named for the late mayor. 

The bust unveiled today, also created by artists Hendrickson and Samia, is sculpted in bronze and situated on a marble base. The bust is a gift of artwork to the city, fiscally sponsored by the Rose Pak Community Fund and supported by contributions from friends, family, colleagues, and admirers of Mayor Lee. The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) will manage the bust as part of the city’s collection of public artwork.   

The bust is installed at the front entrance of City Hall, replacing the bust of San Francisco’s 25th mayor James Phelan. Mayor Phelan has been widely recognized as a leader of the anti-Japanese and anti-Chinese movements of the late 1800s and early 1900s. His persistent efforts to bolster racially discriminatory legislation, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Alien Land Law of 1913, had a harmful impact on San Francisco’s communities of color—particularly those of Chinese and Japanese descent. 

“It is no small matter that San Francisco unveils this tribute, not only to honor our beloved Mayor Ed Lee, who left an indelible mark on our city, but to celebrate his values-based vision of progress, humanity and effective service to our community,” said Speaker Emerita Pelosi. “At the same time, by replacing the bust of the author of the Chinese Exclusion Act, we transform a symbol of discrimination into one of dignity and hope—and bend the arc of the moral universe more toward justice.” 

“Ed Lee rolled up his sleeves, brought diverse groups of people together, and got it done,” said former San Francisco Mayor Brown. “He led the city, first, through one of the nation’s worst recessions and then through an unprecedented time of growth and change. And, as he steered the city away from fiscal disaster and toward prosperity, he sought to ensure no one was left behind.” 

“Ed saw to it that the wealth and prosperity of the city helped our immigrants and marginalized communities, our seniors, and our working families,” said Anni Chung, Self-Help for the Elderly CEO and community leader in Chinatown. 

“I worked with Mayor Lee throughout my career. He loved the city, was a devoted public servant, and positively uplifted the daily work of thousands of civil servants across the city,” said Carmen Chu, City Administrator. “I will always be thankful for his mentorship, his friendship, and his humor as we worked to tackle difficult problems together. This tribute recognizes not only his innumerable contributions to San Francisco as an activist and as a leader but also honors his legacy as the first Asian American Mayor to lead this city." 

Mayor Lee is survived by his wife, Anita, and daughters, Tania and Brianna, along with his mother, Pansy, and a large extended family.

“It means a lot to the family to see our father honored in this way,” said Tania Lee. “We appreciate all he did, throughout his life, to help people and lift up the community. We understand how important it is that he was San Francisco’s first Chinese American mayor. But to us, he was always Dad. We knew how much he loved this city, and it’s amazing to see how much the city loved him back.”