In November 1966, Lex Frieden fought the biggest battle of his young life. The Alva native, a freshman student at Oklahoma State University majoring in electrical engineering, became paralyzed from a broken neck suffered in a car accident as he returned to school.

Taken to St. Anthony's Hospital in downtown Oklahoma City, the young Alvan, who formerly worked as a disc jockey at KALV Radio Station, defied medical odds and lived to become the driving force behind the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Passage of the ADA in 1989, physically and figuratively, opened doors formerly closed by discrimination against people with disabilities.

A week short of 50 years after that fateful day, Frieden – professor of biomedical informatics and rehabilitation at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and director of the ILRU program at TIRR Memorial Hermann Research Center – returned to Oklahoma City to the OU Allied Health Science Center to address a large group of professionals and students on disability issues. The audience included allied health, physical medicine and rehabilitation professionals and students; social scientists and health policy researchers; disability advocates; and public officials and policymakers who were interested in disability issues.

Also there to greet their long-time friend and former Alva classmate were Roland Lohmann, Fred Neuman and Linda Hertzler.

"Roland had hinted to me that some of them would be there," Frieden said.

Neuman described the OU Health Sciences Center lecture hall as "lavish."

Each student sat at a desk equipped with a microphone that enabled them to ask questions of the guest lecturer. Two large screens at the front of the hall allowed the 100 or more students equal opportunity to see Frieden.

"It was highly interesting," Neuman said of the presentation. "He had the full attention of all the students. He didn't just stay in one place. He rolled his chair over and talked to the people on his right and on his left. His presentation was unbelievable."

Frieden's presentation began with a PowerPoint display showing photos of the young student and his friends taking a memorable trip to Acapulco, Mexico, the summer following his accident.

Neuman recalled how the group of friends that included Frieden, Neuman, Jim Shepherd, Jim Highfill, Allen Corr and Roland Lohmann, met regularly at Neuman's home in Alva to play Tripoli. They sang in the church choir together. During Frieden's senior year in high school, the group planned a trip the following summer to Acapulco.

The November accident clouded the prospects of that trip, but Frieden insisted on sticking with the plan.

"One cold night after he was moved to St. Anthony's Hospital, we drove down there with limes and cokes," Neuman said. "We got up to the eighth floor and he was on his back on the table with screws in his head."

Neuman said he learned how to care for his friend, and in July, they drove to Frieden's home and loaded him into the car and headed to Mexico.

"That's when he learned what it was like to be a paraplegic," Neuman said, noting none of the doors were wide enough to accommodate his wheel chair.

Frieden told how his friends would hide him behind them while they hailed a cab. When the cab stopped, the friends loaded him in the vehicle before the driver could get away.

"The taxi driver, just seeing us, had no idea that we could manage," Frieden said.

After that memorable trip, Neuman said Frieden began championing rights for people with disabilities, such as ramps to make sidewalks, rest rooms and businesses wheelchair accessible.

"His point to those students was, 'we're still not there yet, but paraplegic people should have just as good lives as anyone,'" Neuman said.

The 50-Year Fight

Frieden challenged the mindset that individuals with disabilities could not be productive and independent.

"Most individuals with disabilities would rather be responsible for their own lives than be taken care of because they're disabled," Frieden said.

Growing up in Alva, Frieden said he learned instinctively that for a community to prosper, everyone must contribute.

"It's not about who gets paid," Frieden said. "If you really want to contribute to the community, you can by being a volunteer or an advocate. That's the way little towns prosper."

Frieden espoused that philosophy whether he lived in Alva, Tulsa, Washington, D.C., or Houston.

"Wherever I go, wherever I am, I try to contribute to the community and improve things for other people as well as myself," Frieden said. "I've tried to contribute to the public good."

He said he learned that positive attitude farmers exemplify who work all year to grow a crop, only to have it hailed out on the day before harvest.

"You've just got to start over the next morning," he said. "That's kind of the attitude I took about the trauma I experienced."

Hired By Reagan

President Ronald Regan hired Frieden to go to Washington as an advisor on disability matters. Frieden led a committee that spent two years writing a report on the need for legislation to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities.

On Jan. 28, 1986, Frieden had an appointment to meet with President Reagan and give him the report. That day, the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up and the President's activities were all canceled.

Feeling discouraged that all their work might not be seen, Frieden tried to reschedule. The woman responsible for the president's calendar said his schedule was so booked they couldn't get back in for six weeks.

"I was dismayed," Frieden said. "Then she said, 'I have the calendar for the vice president here. He's available after tomorrow.'"

Although Frieden didn't know anything about George Bush, he decided a meeting with the vice president would be better than no meeting at all. The assistant told Frieden that Bush was very busy and would only have time to take the report and obligatory photos.

"Mr. Bush said 'I read this report. Barbara and I looked at it, and if you have time, I'd like to sit down and chat about it,'" Frieden recalls.

Because of members of their own family with disabilities, the Bushes were very interested in education for those with disabilities.

"I really want to support you, but I'm just the vice president," Bush told Frieden. "If, in the future, I ever have the opportunity to help you, I will."

Two years later, George H. W. Bush became president of the United States of America. In his first speech to the Congress, Bush emphasized the need for legislation to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities. Two years later, the Americans with Disabilities Act became law.

In the 50 years since becoming disabled, Frieden continues to champion causes for those with disabilities. In his hometown of Houston, Frieden initiated a practice of annually honoring businesses that assist the disabled.

Some of his battles seem smaller, but just as important. This week, Frieden mentioned on his social media account that a large grocery store was setting its Christmas trees in the handicapped parking places.

"They're not there anymore," Frieden said when asked about the post. "I suppose that company got dozens of phone calls and emails. It was the subject of discussion on Twitter pages and everything else."

At the University of Oklahoma appearance, Frieden received a citation from Gov. Mary Fallin for his accomplishments. Next week, he will be honored by the Houston Academy of Medicine and the Texas Library for his achievements. The grandson of President George H. W. Bush will read a letter from the former president at that event.

Frieden's accomplishments never lacked notice or appreciation in his hometown of Alva. Last year, Frieden was one of the inaugural class of Outstanding Goldbugs honored by the Goldbug Education Foundation.

"I appreciate all the volunteer efforts going into that, too," Frieden said.

Frieden said he refuses to dwell on "what might have been" had the accident not occurred.

ALVA CLASSMATES REUNITE – Roland Lohmann, Fred Neuman and Linda Hertzler greet Lex Frieden at a recent meeting at the OU Health Sciences Center.

"I might have been an astronaut, who knows," he said.