Lee Albert Counsell

Lee was born July 5, 1923, in Neillsville, Clark County, to Clarion and Henrietta (Clemens) Counsell on the family dairy farm near Neillsville, WI. It was one of the first dairy farms of its type in Clark County. His values were established early on and were an integral part of the man he became. Lee was a lifelong student. He earned a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1949, a DDS from Northwestern University, MPH at the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts in Spanish at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He also earned a Certificate of Residence at the Forsyth Dental Center for Children. Dr. Counsell’s educational pursuits also took him to Harvard University, the Navy Graduate Dental School at the National Navy Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and the University of Dundee in Scotland.Dr. Counsell’s career in the U.S. Navy spanned more than 20 years. He earned the rank of Commander. In addition to his experiences in the Navy, Dr. Counsell was involved in public health dentistry in Florida and Nevada. He taught in the dental hygiene program at SIUC and was a prolific writer and talented wordsmith, with a number of published articles to his credit. His travels were extensive. He had an expansive personal library and was a classic car enthusiast. He was a committed patron of the arts and a conscientious supporter of various nature conservancy programs. Dr. Counsell’s passion for music began at an early age with piano lessons. He became an accomplished pianist, accompanist and choral singer. He spent years studying the pipe organ. Dr. Counsell was a member of the Episcopal faith. He was also a recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal. Dr. Counsell’s concern for the health and well-being of children was exemplified by his endowment of the Forsyth Dental Center for Children in Boston and the St. Francis Community Services Inc. in Salina, Kansas. Lee’s parents, Clarion and Henrietta personified the traditional family farm enterprise of the 1920s through the early 1970s in rural Clark County. They raised Belgian draft horses and Hampshire sheep to show, among other livestock, and also managed a dairy herd. Clarion and Henrietta related easily to young men and women and often encouraged them to attend the Farm and Industry Short Course Program through the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the UW-Madison. Dr. Counsell also experienced the life-long challenges and fulfillment of continuing education, and demonstrated this in his own professional career and by his financial support of pre-professional research in dental and public health education.