Rensselaer W. Lee III ’59

A modern Renaissance man, foreign-policy consultant Rens died Dec. 30, 2018.

Born in Evanston, Ill., Rens came to us from Milton Academy. At Princeton he majored in the Woodrow Wilson School, joined Charter, drilled with the ROTC, worked at WPRB, and played piano, chess, and tennis. His father, Rensselaer W. Lee 1920 *1926, chaired the Department of Art and Archaeology.

After earning a master’s degree in public law at Columbia and a Ph.D. in political science at Stanford, Rens taught briefly at CCNY. He then worked as a CIA contractor before setting up his own investigative research firm, Global Advisory Services, performing overseas contract assignments for federal offices and agencies, while serving as a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

An authority on terrorism, international organized crime, and nuclear proliferation, and fluent in Russian, Chinese, Spanish, and French, Rens traveled extensively throughout Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Cuba, the Caribbean, and much of South America. He authored four books and numerous articles providing insightful perspectives on complex issues of our time, most recently the North Korean nuclear situation. A gourmet, his appreciation for food and fine wine was legendary. A talented jazz pianist, Rens could hear a piece of music once and play it back by ear.

Rens is survived by his wife, Christine; sons Nicholas ’99 and Thomas; two grandchildren; and two sisters. We have sent condolences.