Kent Frizzell

Early History/Schooling:  Dale Kent Frizzell was born in Wichita, Kansas on February 11, 1929.  He received a B.A. in economics from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, and graduated from law school at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.  Frizzell also spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Tenure as AAG:  Frizzell was appointed by President Nixon as AAG of the Land and Natural Resources Division in January 1972.  In 1973, he played a key role in resolving a violent conflict between Oglala Sioux factions at Wounded Knee in South Dakota. 
 
Career:  Prior to assuming his post at the Department of Justice, Frizzell was a state senator and attorney general in his home state of Kansas.  After a year of serving as AAG, he was appointed Solicitor of the Department of the Interior.  From 1975 until 1977, he was an undersecretary for the Department of the Interior, and was a member of the Reagan-Bush transition team in 1980 and 1981.  Throughout his career, Frizzell has served on the boards of several organizations, including the National Advisory Board of the Washington Legal Foundation, the National Coal Council, and the National Petroleum Council.  Frizzell taught law at the University of Tulsa and served as the Director of the National Energy Law and Policy Institute at the school.

Personal:  Frizzell’s family members include his wife, Shirley, and five children.  One of his children, Gregory Kent Frizzell, is a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Frizzell passed away in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 26, 2016.

This material is based on the review of a variety of historical sources, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.  If you have any corrections or additional information about this individual or about the history of the Division, please contact ENRD.