Well that's not the answer I was hoping for. Am I the only person who uses this type of functionality often? I don't memorize people's numbers, I depend on the contact being in my phone. This is a huge oversight by Apple IMO.
Well, the good thing is, you can just hit the home key, go back to your contact list and get it, and when you load the SMS app, it will be in the exact same spot you left it.
That's why I love having different "applications". Not just menus.
The ability to copy and paste would be nice, to top it off. That would solve your problem, and silence a lot of complaints, too.
Hey, at least it resolves URLs and Email addresses, as links!