Neal McCaleb

June 30, 1935 – January 7, 2025
Neal A. McCaleb, a distinguished civil engineer, public servant, and proud member of the Chickasaw Nation, passed away January 7th, 2025, at the age of 89.
Born in Oklahoma City in 1935, McCaleb grew up hunting and fishing on the shores of Lake Overholser and graduated from Putnam City High School in 1953. He then earned a bachelor's degree with honors in civil engineering from Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University) in 1957.
Neal was first and foremost a family man. He was devoted to his wife, Georgann, who he was married to for 69 years, his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Neal could often be found at the family dinner table, engaging in meaningful conversation with whomever he was sitting next to. He was a natural mentor and had many who considered him their mentor.
McCaleb helped fund the higher education for all of his grandchildren, whether they went to cosmetology school, earned a bachelor's degree, or attended law school. He did so with the wisdom that a good education would aid his children and grandchildren long into their adult lives. Neal and his wife Georgann have been a bedrock of hospitality to the rest of the family, many friends and the community, for decades.
He was appointed as Oklahoma's first Secretary of Transportation by Governor Henry Bellmon in 1987, a role he reprised under Governor Frank Keating in 1995. He was also the first person in state history to hold three con-current positions as Secretary of Transportation, ODOT Director and OTA Director. He continued to be an active voice for changing the direction of transportation in Oklahoma for the better and paved the way for many transportation leaders who came after him. He was considered the "Czar of Transportation" in the inner circles as he truly revolutionized transportation in Oklahoma. He never took credit for this work and always praised others for their work in advancing transportation.
Mr. McCaleb's career spanned over eight decades, during which he made significant contributions to Oklahoma's infrastructure and Native American affairs.
McCaleb's public service began in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where he served from 1975 to 1983, including a term as House Minority Leader.
Of the accomplishments Mr. McCaleb himself was most proud of, he considered his work bringing the first cable barrier system to Oklahoma highways, which has saved thousands of Oklahoman lives since they have been installed, to be among the most important work of his life.
He was responsible for many transportation programs and initiatives during his tenure, all of which improved transportation infrastructure in Oklahoma, including the construction of the urban turnpikes in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. And also safety initiatives and programs to improve access to rural Oklahoma.
In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed McCaleb as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, where he led the Bureau of Indian Affairs and advocated for tribal economic development. He also served as a presidential appointee on Ronald Reagan's Commission on Indian Reservation Economics in the 1980's.
After returning to Oklahoma in 2003, he served as an economic development consultant and special advisor to Governor Bill Anoatubby of the Chickasaw Nation. McCaleb eventually rose to the role of Ambassador of the Chickasaw Nation-a post he held until his passing.
Throughout his life, McCaleb received numerous honors, including induction into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2014 as well as OSU Hall of Fame and the OSU Engineering Hall of Fame.
Neal loved spending his free time with Georgann and their family at their condo in Colorado, where he skied into his 70s and was still enjoying hikes well into his 80s.
Neal was always an avid reader, and amateur history expert. He played a significant role within his own family and many others he mentored, with regard to sharing, through stories of personal experience and tribal history, of what it means to be a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation. His surviving family will forever be grateful for this.
Neal is preceded in death by his father and mother, Burt and Zelma McCaleb, his siblings Juanita Roper, John B. McCaleb, and Marion McCaleb, as well as his son, Adam McCaleb.
He is survived by his wife, Georgann, his son Kevin McCaleb, his daughter and son-in-law Kate & Bryan Turner, and his son and daughter-in-law Caleb and Terri McCaleb, sixteen grandchildren, six great grandchildren, to name a few.
Neal McCaleb's legacy is marked by his unwavering dedication to public service, his commitment to improving infrastructure, and his advocacy for Native American communities and businesses. To celebrate this legacy, the Chickasaw Nation has opened a scholarship in his honor, called the "Ambassador Neal McCaleb Scholarship for undergraduate Chickasaw students attending Oklahoma State University".
His life's work has left an indelible impact on Oklahoma, the country, and on the Chickasaw Nation. Neal's good humor, temperance, and diplomacy will be missed, but his long legacy will endure for many years to come. He will be remembered for his unswerving love of Oklahoma and his family, his intellect, wisdom, knowledge, humility and ability to naturally fall into leadership positions and mentoring others, to name a few.
In Lieu of Flowers please donations may be made to
Ambassador Neal McCaleb Scholarship