On November 18th, the Orange County Board of Supervisors announced that Olympic gold medalist Sammy Lee was one of 10 inductees selected for the 2025 Orange County Hall of Fame.
Lee won consecutive gold medals in the 10-meter platform diving events at the 1948 London Olympics and the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He also received the James Sullivan Award, given to the nation’s top amateur athlete, and became the first American to win back-to-back Olympic titles in diving.
After graduating from the USC School of Medicine, Lee worked as an ear, nose, and throat specialist in Santa Ana while coaching national diving teams for the United States, Japan, and Korea. He lived in Garden Grove, Santa Ana, and Huntington Beach, maintaining close ties to the Orange County community.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said Lee was “not only a physician and mentor, but the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal.”
The Hall of Fame criteria include at least 10 years of residence or business in Orange County; major life milestones such as birth or education in the county; major awards such as Oscars or sports honors; or service as a community leader. The Board names up to 10 honorees each year.
Lee’s son, Sammy Lee II, said the induction is “a great honor for our entire family” and noted that Lee took pride in seeing Korean Americans establish roots and contribute to the OC community. He added that the recognition as an Orange County leader carries “even greater meaning.”
The Orange County Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on December 9.
BY YOONSEO SONG [song.yoonseo@koreadaily.com]
