# Lewis Kamas

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{{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](/source/Beaver_County%2C_Oklahoma), U.S.
|death_date          = {{death date and age|1996|10|26|1921|10|24}}
|death_place         = [Freedom, Oklahoma](/source/Freedom%2C_Oklahoma), U.S.
|office1             = Member of the [Oklahoma House of Representatives](/source/Oklahoma_House_of_Representatives) from the 58th district
|term_start1         = 1967
|term_end1           = 1988
|preceded1           = [A. L. Murrow](/source/A._L._Murrow)
|succeeded1          = [Elmer Maddux](/source/Elmer_Maddux)
|party               = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States))
|children            = 
|alma_mater          = [Northwestern Oklahoma State University](/source/Northwestern_Oklahoma_State_University)
|spouse              = 
|occupation          = Military lieutenant
}}

'''Lewis Melvin Kamas''' (October 24, 1921 – October 26, 1996) was an American military [lieutenant](/source/lieutenant) and politician. A member of the [Republican Party](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)), he served in the [Oklahoma House of Representatives](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Beaver_County%2C_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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Oklahoma_Legislature)|page=105|access-date=January 26, 2023}}</ref> After graduating, he served in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) in 1942, later transferring to the [United States Army Air Corps](/source/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](/source/Freedom%2C_Oklahoma)|date=February 8, 1945|access-date=July 7, 2025|page=1|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}} {{Closed access}}</ref> During his military service, he served with the 452nd Bomb Group during [World War II](/source/World_War_II),<ref name="a" /> and was captured as a [prisoner of war](/source/Prisoners_of_war_in_World_War_II) by [Germany](/source/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](/source/Alva%2C_Oklahoma)|date=April 6, 1945|access-date=July 7, 2025|page=1|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}} {{Closed access}}</ref> which after his release, he retired from his military service, retiring at the rank of [lieutenant](/source/lieutenant).<ref name="a" />

Kamas served in the [Oklahoma House of Representatives](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Wayback_Machine)}}</ref>

== Death ==
Kamas died on October 26, 1996, in [Freedom, Oklahoma](/source/Freedom%2C_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](/source/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](/source/Ancestry.com)}} {{Closed access}} {{Subscription required}}</ref>

== References ==
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{{Authority control}}

{{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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lewis Kamas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Kamas) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Kamas?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.