William States Lee

William States Lee was a civil engineer who had designed dams for the U.S. Reclamation Service before James Buchanan Duke appointed him chief engineer of Southern Power Company in 1905. Lee's defining decision was to design and build a series of eleven hydroelectric dams on the Catawba and Yadkin rivers, creating a 200-mile cascade that would generate 200,000 horsepower. The first dam at India Hook Shoals was completed in 1907, and by 1920 Lee had built four dams serving 300 industrial customers. His engineering vision established the hydroelectric foundation that powered Duke Energy's growth for the first half of the twentieth century.

William States Lee (1872–1944) was an American civil engineer and dam builder who served as chief engineer of Southern Power Company and later Duke Power Company. Born in South Carolina, Lee designed dams for the U.S. Reclamation Service before joining Southern Power in 1905. He designed and oversaw construction of eleven hydroelectric dams on the Catawba and Yadkin rivers, creating one of the largest hydroelectric systems in the eastern United States. Lee served as president of Duke Power from 1927 to 1933 and chairman until his death in 1944. His engineering legacy includes the Catawba River dam system that still generates power for Duke Energy today.