The Recent History-Makers from Lexington

In 2022, Carolyn Bertozzi, a Lexington High School graduate from the Class of 1984, made history when she won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for “bioorthogonal chemistry” after previously having received the honors of a Stanford professorship, the Lemelson-MIT Prize faculty award, the Heinrich Wieland Prize, the ACS Award in Pure Chemistry, and the Chemistry of the Future Solvay Prize as well as other prestigious honors. She epitomizes the Lexington spirit of intellectual curiosity and free-thinking. Along with Bertozzi, Lexington boasts ten Nobel prize winners.

Former Lexington High School soccer goalkeeper Ethan Zohn (b. 1973) would go on after graduating to play for three professional soccer teams in different parts of the world. He took a brief break from his soccer career to participate in season three of Survivor: Africa and won the contest, later using some of his prize money to start an organization called Grassroots Soccer which aimed to combat the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Zohn spent the latter part of his career doing reporting and commentary on soccer for Major League Soccer and FC Fox. Zohn is a model of the unlimited potential and unpredictability of the people of Lexington – they make history in ways the world has never seen.

Boston-born Ronald Henry Lee was an All-American basketball player who graduated from Lexington High School in the 70s before going on to attend the University of Oregon and playing four seasons with the Ducks, earning a reputation for his grit and winning mentality as the all-time leading scorer for the university. These spectacular characteristics would earn him a spot in the NBA as the tenth pick in the 1976 draft where he joined the Phoenix Suns. He would go on to win a spot on the All-Rookie Team and lead the league in steals in one season. Lee would make history for Lexington when he was honored with a place in the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. Lexington’s indomitable spirit can be found in full-force in All-American Ronald “Ronnie” Lee.