Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Norman A. Lamb,

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

(ret.), (February 27, 1935 – January 5, 2018) was an American

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

from Enid in the U.S. state of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. Lamb served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 1995 to 2011, having been originally appointed by

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gove ...

Frank Keating and retained under Governor

Brad Henry Charles Bradford Henry (born July 10, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who was the 26th governor of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002. Henry won re-election for a second term ...

. Lamb was one of three Cabinet Secretaries appointed by former Governor Frank Keating to be held over by Governor

, the others being: Human Resources Secretary Oscar B. Jackson Jr. and Health and Human Services Secretary

Howard Hendrick Howard Hendrick (born December 22, 1954) is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Hendrick was serving as the Oklahoma Secretary of Human Services, having been appointed by Democratic Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry in 2003. ...

Education and early career

Lamb was born in

Canute, Oklahoma Canute is a town in Washita County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 541 at the 2010 census. History Canute was established in the early 1900s and is located on the now-defunct Rock Island Railroad. Following the advent of the automobi ...

in 1935, and attended schools in Cordell, Putnam City, Midwest City, Tuttle, Moore, and Enid. He graduated from

Cameron State Agricultural College Cameron University is a public university in Lawton, Oklahoma. It offers more than 50 degrees through both Undergraduate education, undergraduate and Graduate school, graduate programs. The degree programs emphasize the Liberal arts education, li ...

and from the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...

with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in Math and Education. After college, Lamb began a career in law. He served as Assistant County Attorney for

Chickasha, Oklahoma Chickasha is a city in and the county seat of Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,036 at the 2010 census. Chickasha is home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. The city is named for and strongly connecte ...

(1963–1964), as Assistant Municipal Counselor of

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

(1964–1965), and then as Chief Prosecutor and Assistant District Attorney for

Garfield County, Oklahoma The county courthouse in 1908. Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,580. Enid is the county seat and largest city within Garfield County. The county is named after Pre ...

from 1967 to 1970. Lamb served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and retired after 33 years active and reserve duty as a colonel. During his active duty, he served at Ft. Bliss,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

on Air Defense/Guided Missiles. His interest in serving his country extended to serving as a West Point (USMA) Liaison (Recruiting) to Oklahoma from 1986 to 1990. Lamb represented Enid in the Oklahoma State Senate. A Republican, Lamb was first elected to the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resi ...

but with 38.5% lost to Democratic incumbent

Spencer Bernard Spencer Bernard is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. He is a long-time associate of hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and a part of the Flyte Tyme Productions crew. Throughout his career he has done session work for Jan ...

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Governor Frank Keating appointed Colonel Lamb as his Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 1995. Lamb would serve as Keating's only VA Secretary. Following the election of

in 2002, Lamb was asked to stay on under Henry as his Secretary of Veterans Affairs. As the Secretary, Lamb was charged with ensuring all Oklahoma veterans and their families receive all possible benefits and provide health services and long-term skilled care in a residential environment to all qualified veterans residing in the state by overseeing the

Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs The Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs (ODVA) is a department of the state of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Veterans Affairs charged with providing medical and rehabilitative services for veterans and their famili ...

Personal life

He was an active member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid and was a Sunday school teacher and a deacon. He was a long-time member of the Enid Lions Club and the Enid Chamber of Commerce. Lamb's hobbies included after-dinner speaking, high school and college football officiating, and jogging. He participated in a weekly radio show, "Stand Your Ground" on KGWA-960, as the political conservative. He and his wife, Belva M. Clark Lamb, have three grown children: Kim Akers, Fawn Ingmire, and Todd Lamb. Todd served as an aide to Governor Frank Keating, served as an Oklahoma State Senator and was elected

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resi ...

in the 2010 general election. Lamb died on January 5, 2018, in Enid, Oklahoma.

References

1935 births 2018 deaths Politicians from Enid, Oklahoma People from Washita County, Oklahoma Cameron University alumni University of Oklahoma alumni Oklahoma lawyers United States Army officers Republican Party Oklahoma state senators State cabinet secretaries of Oklahoma 20th-century American lawyers {{Oklahoma-politician-stub