Alton Salisbury Lee

Architect | 1912-1996

Alton Lee graduated from Cal in 1935 before working for William C. Corlett (1936), Eldridge Spencer (1937-41), Master & Hurd (1938-39) and the US Naval Reserve (1942-46). A 1946 partnership with several architects matured into the firm Spencer, Lee and Busse Architects in Palo Alto. The firm Spencer & Lee’s only known San Diego project is Vacation Village (1963).

Alton Lee was born on April 18, 1912. He graduated from Cal - with his Bachelor’s Degree in 1933, his Masters in 1934, and a ‘Grad of Architecture' in 1935. During the latter two years, Alton Lee served as a teaching assistant in watercolor and pen & ink work.

Following his academic work, Alton worked as a draftsman for William C. Corlett (1936), for Eldridge Spencer (1937-41); with Masten & Hurd (1938-39) and during World War II for the US Naval Reserve (1942-46). Mr.

Lee was an associate with William Clement Ambrose and Eldridge T. Spencer, Westley A. Talley, & Alton S. Lee, Associated Architects, organized in 1946. Following this, he was a partner in Spencer, Lee and Busse Architects in Palo Alto (through 1974). Following this he founded Alton S. Lee and David A. Lee, Architects (1974-1988) and Alton S. Lee and David A. Lee, Architects (1988-1994).

While much of their work was in the San Francisco Bay Area, Spencer & Lee was the architecture firm of record for Vacation Village at Mission Bay. Designed by Zach Stewart, Val Agnoli, Dan Osborn and W.A. Kibby working for Eldridge Spencer, the grand resort village stands today in much of its original splendor.

Partial List of Projects

Vacation Village (1963)
1404 Vacation Road