Library At Lincoln Academy Honors Late Stillwater Man Who Helped Bring It To Life

A Stillwater couple honors their late son through service to their community. The library at Stillwater Public Schools’ Lincoln Academy provides a place where students can learn and escape. The space was built due to one Stillwater man’s kindness and the lengths he traveled to achieve it. 

Libraries keep imagination alive. This room keeps Julie and Mark Lambert’s late son Grady Lambert in their lives. Grady was an avid reader who loved adventure. 

“There wasn’t really anything he didn’t read,” Julie Lambert said, Grady Lambert’s mother. 

The Lamberts have no headstone to leave flowers. Lincoln Academy’s library is where they go to visit their son and reflect on the good memories. 

“It’s always bittersweet to come into this space,” Julie Lambert said.  

Lambert worked in Portland Oregon during the pandemic, and he ran across the country to support frontline workers. 

“Had run almost 2,800 miles at the time of the accident,” Julie Lambert said. 

On Sept. 2, 2022, in Amarillo Texas, Lambert lost his life after a driver hit him. 

“Time doesn’t heal that,” Julie Lambert said. 

Julie and Mark finished Grady’s journey and spread his ashes along his route. 

“Complete his wish if you will,” said Mark Lambert, Grady Lambert’s father. 

Lambert’s compassionate heart started beating at a young age. 

“I really think Grady lived [for others],” Mark Lambert said. 

Lincoln Academy didn’t have a library — so Lambert built one as part of his Eagle Scout project when he was a student at Stillwater High School. 

“This was just a natural fit for him,” Julie Lambert said. “We’re all in this together and a little bit of giving back can go a long way.” 

After Grady’s passing, Lincoln Academy Principal George Horton helped dedicate a new space. 

“This is one of my favorite places about Lincoln,” Horton said. 

Last year, — the school district named the library the Grady Lambert Memorial Library. 

“Makes mom and dad proud,” Mark Lambert said. 

Lambert’s favorite book was “The Outsiders.” The famous line from the story “Stay Gold” remains tattooed on his mom’s wrist. It was Lambert’s motto in life. 

“Even though his life was cut short at thirty-two, I feel like he had a lifetime of adventure,” Julie Lambert said. 

This library is run by an honor system, so it has no librarian. Lambert believed students should be able to take a book and keep it as long as they need it. Julie Lambert said she knows her son is proud that there will always be a place at Lincoln Academy for students to explore their journeys.  

“It just means a lot to me,” Julie Lambert said. 

The Stillwater Medical Center Foundation has sponsored the Grady Lambert Scholarship Fund — that is for Lincoln Academy graduates pursuing careers in front-line professions. People can donate to the Stillwater Education Foundation to support the library.