Gordan Lamb, courageous scholar and administrator, dies at age 77
Barb Shelly
Gordon Lamb’s time as president of the University of Missouri system was short but eventful. The courtly professor and administrator stepped in after Elson Floyd resigned in April 2007, and served as interim president until Gary Forsee took over in 2008.
Those months, though, marked the height of efforts in Missouri to stop universities and other labs from using embryonic stem cells for medical research.
In September 2007, as lawmakers and conservative groups worked to overturn the results of a 2006 statewide vote protecting scientific research, Lamb stepped up with a courageous statement.
“…The group championing this amendment is taking the first step to controlling and impeding Missouri’s research agenda and potential for future research,” Lamb said. “And they are doing so in a way that could permanently destroy the future of research in the state and in its universities.”
Lamb correctly insisted that academic researchers in Missouri must have “protection from the few who, seeking to reinforce their own personal biases, would shut down research done by highly competent and dedicated scientists.”
The university system announced Thursday that Lamb died this week at age 77. He will be missed by the people who admired his courage and capable work. He spent more than 40 years in public higher education. From 1999 to 2000 he was the interim chancellor of UMKC. He served as executive vice president to Forsee to help with the transition.
While interim president of the University of Missouri system, Lamb conceived the “Preparing to Care,” initiative to ramp up opportunities to train and educate more health care workers in Missouri. He also established the Missouri 100, an advisory group to promote the role of the university system in the state. Both those projects exist today in some form.
And in part because of Lamb’s willingness to take a stand, the end run at legitimate medical research was brought to a halt.
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