Career
He was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Giants in 1945. Roy Lee was named the head coach of the Saint Louis University baseball program in 1960. In seven years, his Billikens built a record of 125–84–5.
Lee"s Billikens placed third in the 1965 College World Series.
In 1967, Lee departed the successful Division I program at Saint Louis to start the new Division II program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). With no scholarships and almost no budget, he quickly built a successful program
In his eleven years as the Cougars" head coach, his teams had a record of 237–144–3 and made eight successive appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association playoffs. Lee"s Cougars advanced to the Division II College World Series three times and finished as the 1976 runners-up.
On April 26, 1986, between the games of a double-header, the SIUE baseball field was rededicated and named Roy East. Lee Field.