David Hodges Stratton died peacefully after a brief illness Friday, May 26, 2023, in Olympia. He was surrounded by family. He was born Jan. 6, 1927, to Sam and Lottie Stratton in Tucumcari, N.M. He joined an older brother Sam “Jack” Stratton, making their family complete. He was an amazing son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, professor, mentor and friend.
Anyone who knows him well will not be surprised that he wrote his own obituary and here it is:
I have decided to write my own obituary. That way it will be closer to the truth — or as close as I want it to be. The Scripture says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” I have had a lot of good seasons, and some that are best forgotten. But to be truthful, I have in my lifetime had far more than my share of incredibly good luck.
First and foremost, I was blessed in life with an extraordinary woman as a wife, Wanda Lee Cummings had genuine “class,” as much so as anybody I have ever known. My blessings also included two sons, John Michael, a brainy guy, who earned a Ph.D., and distinguished himself as a Boeing project manager before he died at age 61. And Scott David, who “pushed the envelope” all of his life but had abundant compensating virtues and earned a Ph.D. He died tragically at age 51. Both climbed their own ladders, and I was proud of them for doing it. Both died too young, and it hurt — it has never quit hurting. I have five wonderful grandchildren and six equally wonderful great grandchildren. And, last but not least, my dear daughter, Nancy Ellen Stratton Hall, a truly remarkable person, who, even with the demands of a family and full-time teaching, somehow found time to earn a master’s degree and obtain a National Board-Certified Teacher Certification twice. Creative and innovative, she gets ideas and pursues them to a successful conclusion. And let the record clearly show that she faithfully and constantly took care of my every need and desire in my final years.
At one time or another I have held most of the jobs kids dream about. While in high school, one summer and part of another, I worked in an environment-related job with a land surveying crew for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s irrigation project following the construction of Conchas Dam. For the last part of the summer of 1944, I went to California and got a job. It was during World War II, and with the shortage of workers in the defense industry, although only 16 years old, I had no difficulty being hired as a fireman in a Southern California shipyard.
I was a sailor in the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps, USNR, and purser; policeman and paratrooper/soldier, Division Military Police Platoon, 11th Airborne Division, Occupation of Japan; and college professor (1955-2015).
Once back home from the Army, I enrolled at nearby Eastern New Mexico University in Portales (1948-51) and married Wanda, a local girl (1949). I intended to do pre-law, but under the influence of an excellent teacher, wound up with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. My good luck continued when the University of Colorado gave me, first, a scholarship and, later, a teaching assistantship and two research fellowships. Wanda also worked to keep us going at this time.
I cannot think of another profession I would have enjoyed more than college teaching. I was fortunate to get my first teaching position at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. I had seven learning years at Baylor (1955-62) except one year on leave (1957-58) at the University of Wyoming at Laramie. Again, with luck smiling on me, I got a job at Washington State University in Pullman.
In the WSU History Department I found a congenial faculty and undoubtedly the best chairman on the planet, Ray Muse. During the next 50 years or so I had the freedom to develop my field of Western American history, to teach the subfield of Pacific Northwest history, and to serve on various university, state, and national bodies, including the Washington Statehood Centennial Commission, which the state legislature funded with $15 million. I was also director of the American Studies Program (1966-71) and department chair (1979-85). Thirteen graduate students completed their Ph.D.s with me as their major professor, as well as several Master of Arts graduate students, and I had a decisive role in getting three or four more through their Ph.D.s. Countless history majors wrote unpublished, primary-source research papers in my undergraduate seminars, and one in such class two published booklets. With a $500,000 endowment I established and ran the Pettyjohn Distinguished Lecture Series for several years, editing nine books published from that series. Some of the Pettyjohn funds were used to revive the WSU Press, then inactive. With Glen Lindeman (one of my Master of Arts grads and later editor of the WSU Press), I conducted 30 funded research reports, mostly for state and national agencies, concerning historic preservation. One of these studies preserved the Tacoma warehouse area which opened the door for UWT to locate there. I published Tempest over Teapot Dome: The Story of Albert B. Fall (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998); and Tucumcari Tonite! A Story of Railroads, Route 66, and the Waning of a Western Town (Albuquerque, N.M.: University of New Mexico Press, 2022); as well as (with a $100,000 contract), the 50th anniversary history of a Washington fruit-processing cooperative, Tree Top: Creating a Fruit Revolution (Pullman: Washington State University Press, 2010).”
David received multiple awards over his career, including the Captain Robert Gray Award from the Washington State Historical Society, this award is for outstanding contributions to Pacific Northwest history. He received the Liberal Arts Dean’s Distinguished Contribution award from WSU in 2002. He was on the WSU Press Board of Editors for many years. He spoke at a symposium at Ohio State University on the topic of Presidential scandals. The other speaker was John Dean.
David’s last four and a half years were lived in Olympia near his daughter Nancy and her family. He was an important part of their family, and that time is treasured. He will be remembered for his resilience in the face of adversity, his humor, his love of history and his interest in whatever anyone he was talking to was interested in. He was a people person and loved to hear their stories. He will be sorely missed.
He is survived by his daughter Nancy Stratton Hall and her three children: Zachary, Kelsey and Aaron; His daughter-in-law Cheryl Stratton and her two children: Candice Haskins and Shaun (Marissa) Stratton and by his great-grandchildren: Aria and Ben Haskins, and Lilje, Josiah, Annabel and Henry Stratton. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews for whom he cared deeply.
David is preceded in death by his parents Sam and Lottie Stratton, his brother Jack Stratton, his wife Wanda, his son Michael, and his son Scott.
A celebration of life will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 22 at The Rivers Edge Restaurant in Tumwater, Wash. A Zoom link will be provided for those unable to attend by contacting this email: davidhstrattonphd@gmail.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a memorial fund for a park bench in Pullman at Sunnyside Park. Checks may be made out to: Stratton Memorial Fund c/o Nancy Hall and sent to Nancy Hall 1420 Thomas Street NW, Olympia, WA 98502.
