{{Short description|American military lieutenant and politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder |name = Lewis Kamas |image = Lewis M. Kamas (cropped).webp |caption = Kamas in 1945 |image_size = 170 |birth_name = Lewis Melvin Kamas |birth_date = {{birth date|1921|10|24}} |birth_place = Beaver County, Oklahoma, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|1996|10|26|1921|10|24}} |death_place = Freedom, Oklahoma, U.S. |office1 = Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 58th district |term_start1 = 1967 |term_end1 = 1988 |preceded1 = A. L. Murrow |succeeded1 = Elmer Maddux |party = Republican |children = |alma_mater = Northwestern Oklahoma State University |spouse = |occupation = Military lieutenant }}
'''Lewis Melvin Kamas''' (October 24, 1921 – October 26, 1996) was an American military lieutenant and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1967 to 1988.<ref name="b">{{Cite web|url=https://www.okhouse.gov/Members/Historic.aspx|title=Historic Members|work=Oklahoma Legislature|access-date=January 26, 2023|archive-date=November 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130231845/https://www.okhouse.gov/Members/Historic.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Life and career == Kamas was born in Beaver County, Oklahoma,<ref name="a">{{Cite web|url=https://www.alvareviewcourier.com/story/2020/09/23/local/hometown-hero-lewis-m-kamas/66468.html|title=Hometown Hero Lewis M. Kamas|work=Alva Review-Courier|first=Valerie|last=Brown|date=September 23, 2020|access-date=January 26, 2023}}</ref> the son of Frank and Mable Kamas. He attended and graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digitalprairie.ok.gov/digital/collection/almanacs/id/23778|title=[1985-1986] Directory of Oklahoma Part 1 (Pages 1-216)|work=Oklahoma Legislature|page=105|access-date=January 26, 2023}}</ref> After graduating, he served in the United States Army in 1942, later transferring to the United States Army Air Corps in 1943.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/592820761/|title=Lieut. Kamas|work=The Freedom Call|location=Freedom, Oklahoma|date=February 8, 1945|access-date=July 7, 2025|page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Closed access}}</ref> During his military service, he served with the 452nd Bomb Group during World War II,<ref name="a" /> and was captured as a prisoner of war by Germany in 1945,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/907104530/|title=Lieut. Lewis Kamas Is in Germany As Prisoner Of War|work=The Alva Review-Courier|location=Alva, Oklahoma|date=April 6, 1945|access-date=July 7, 2025|page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Closed access}}</ref> which after his release, he retired from his military service, retiring at the rank of lieutenant.<ref name="a" />
Kamas served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1967 to 1988.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1988/04/03/kamas-wont-seek-office/62656594007/|title=Kamas Won't Seek Office|work=The Oklahoman|date=April 3, 1988|access-date=January 26, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.okhouse.gov/Documents/ALLHOUSE-LIST.pdf|title=All Members Of The Oklahoma House Of Representatives|work=Oklahoma Legislature|access-date=July 7, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130231844/https://www.okhouse.gov/Documents/ALLHOUSE-LIST.pdf|archive-date=November 30, 2022|url-status=live|via=Wayback Machine}}</ref>
== Death == Kamas died on October 26, 1996, in Freedom, Oklahoma, at the age of 75.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1996/10/29/flags-lowered-for-kamas/62338618007/|title=Flags Lowered for Kamas|work=The Oklahoman|date=October 29, 1996|access-date=January 26, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/3693/records/32154667|title=Lewis M. Kamas|publisher=U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014|access-date=July 7, 2025|via=Ancestry.com}} {{Closed access}} {{Subscription required}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamas, Lewis}} Category:1921 births Category:1996 deaths Category:People from Beaver County, Oklahoma Category:Northwestern Oklahoma State University alumni Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Category:United States Army personnel of World War II Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany Category:20th-century members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Category:Republican Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives