Indianapolis loses attorney and civic leader Edgar Lamb

An attorney who played an integral role in consolidating the governments of the city of Indianapolis and Marion County, which made the Hoosier state capital the 11th largest city in the United States, has died.

Edgar H. Lamb passed away July 27, 2013, at his Indianapolis home. He was 78.

“He could talk to anybody and he could listen to anybody,” said Paul Ludwig of Redman and Ludwig PC. “He was a great listener with his clients, he kept an open mind when he listened to them.”

Lamb built a distinguished law career after graduating from Indiana University School of Law. He served as public defender for the Marion County Criminal Court in 1967 before being appointed by former mayors Richard Lugar and William Hudnut as Indianapolis city prosecutor from 1968 through 1975.

Also, he served as a key player in the establishment of Unigov, the term for the combined city-county government in 1969.

Lamb spent the majority of his career in private practice where he represented individuals and publicly traded as well as privately held businesses in civil matters. He was an attorney at Yarling Robinson Hammel & Lamb and, later, entered solo practice.

Ludwig was Lamb’s associate in the early 1980s at the Yarling, Robinson firm. Lamb had expectations and the initiative and self-reliance of a fight pilot, but Ludwig also remembered him as being gracious and never raising his voice.

“His clients just loved him,” Ludwig said. “Nobody had anything bad to say against Ed.”

Working for Lamb, Ludwig was exposed to an array of colorful clients and had many opportunities to see different things. Ludwig also learned a few “old-school lawyering” techniques.

“It was intriguing almost everyday,” Ludwig said.

After nearly 50 years in practice, Lamb retired in 2013.

Prior to going to college, Lamb served in the U.S. Military. He graduated from U.S. Air Force training in 1956 as a 2nd lieutenant with the aeronautical rating of pilot. He then became a fighter pilot and at the age of 22 and exceeded the speed of sound in the F-86 Sabre Jet.

He served as a member of the Indiana National Guard from Hulman Field in Terre Haute. In 1961, he was recalled to active duty for 12 months during the Berlin Crisis. At that time, he was honored with the State of Indiana National Emergency Service Medal Award.

A lifelong Republican, Lamb was active in civic affairs for many years.

Lamb is survived by his wife Barbara and three children, Eric (Jackie) Lamb, Kristin (Michael) Marlowe and Jonathan Lamb. His three children all followed his lead into the practice of law.

A funeral was held Aug. 1 at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Carmel, followed by interment in Pleasant Hill Cemetery.