NSU alumnus Dr. Lowell Lehman honored

Even in retirement, Dr. Lowell Lehman keeps busy.

"Well, I'm past president of the English Speaking Union and I teach Shakespeare to high school students," he said. "I'm a member of the Tulsa Archaeological Society."

He is also on the Tulsa City Council Subcommittee, vice president of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and a Tulsa City-County Library ambassador, giving public programs at 10 retirement homes.

As his pursuits suggest, he lives in Tulsa now. During his days in Tahlequah and at Northeastern, Lehman was known for his music.

"In my case, my family was very musical. We sang and played together in the 'Lehman Family Band.' We were featured on KOY, a radio station in Phoenix, when I was 8 years old," he said.

While attending Tahlequah High School, he was named three times to the All-State Band. He went on to play football his freshman year on a scholarship for music. Legendary Northeastern football coach Doc Wadley was a recurring presence in Lehman's life.

"The funny thing about playing football was Wadley had been my coach before," said Lehman. "He was retrenched from Northeastern at a time when there wasn't a big enrollment, so Tahlequah High gave him a job coaching there. He was my coach in 7th grade, too. He was really a great guy and I enjoyed playing for him."

Representing Northeastern, Lehman demonstrated his musical prowess at the University of Wisconsin when he was chosen from among 13 to sit first chair tuba in the International Collegiate Band.

Lehman started the Fort Gibson High School band when he was a senior at Northeastern. After graduating in 1953, he served as a band instructor at Tahlequah and Anderson, Mo. He was hired by his alma mater to direct the band program in 1966, a position he held until 1984 to become NSU's longest serving band director. He remained as a music instructor until his retirement in 1996. Lehman is an NSU Centurion.

He established and managed the Green Country Jazz Festival, still held annually. While at NSU, he brought many musical talents to campus. Students performed with such luminaries as Count Basie, Doc Severinsen, Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, Clark Terry, Frank Rosolino and Woody Herman.

He was the Kappa Kappa Psi sponsor when it was awarded the Founder's Trophy in 1978 as the nation's top chapter.

"We were very proud of that," said Lehman. "We were in competition with Michigan, Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Texas and Georgia. It was really a big deal."

During his NSU career, Lehman was asked by the late Jim Boren, professor of political science, to write a satirical march lampooning the postmaster general and saluting the sailors of the U.S. escort services during World War II.

"At Iwo Jima, Boren was on a ship that was hit by two kamikazes, but they managed to keep the ship afloat and saved almost everybody," said Lehman. "Well, the postmaster wouldn't put a stamp out commemorating the escort service, but they did commemorate Elvis and Bugs Bunny."

Lehman wrote "The Postmaster General March: Semper Defunctus." It was played and recorded by the U.S. Naval Academy School of Music band and a hit with veterans of the escort services.

He also worked to get the Purple Heart awarded to the late Jim Watkins, a Northeastern registrar who, while serving aboard a B-17 over Europe, was wounded while evacuating the crew from his stricken aircraft and interned at the notorious Stalag 17.

"Watkins was a real war hero," said Lehman. "I called the Pentagon, they got me to the right office and I told them the story. They said they'd look into it. Lo and behold, three months later Jim gets his Purple Heart."

In 1999, Lehman received the Governor's Citation for Excellence in the Fine Arts. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2004.

He founded the Northeastern Music Hall of Fame, into which he was placed and Lehman notes, "As soon as I left it, the people I left it with inducted me."

He met "the star of my life," his wife Janelle, at THS. They married in 1954 and have three children, Becky, Len and Paul, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Lehman is one of four alumni who will be commended as part of NSU's homecoming celebration, "Welcome Back to Fabulous Northeastern State," during halftime of the Oct. 9 football game with Texas A&M-Commerce at Doc Wadley Stadium.

He will be recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus. This year's other award winners are Lt. Col. Ronald H. Quiett of El Paso, Texas, Distinguished Alumnus. Dr. Dawn Holsted of Oklahoma City, Outstanding Young Alumna; and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sandy Garrett of Oklahoma City, President's Award for Community Service.