By Robert Strenge, WSU News
PULLMAN, Wash. – A public memorial service to celebrate the life of Dr. Scott Stratton, an instructor with the Washington State University Department of History, will be held at 1:30 p.m. March 8 at the Lewis Alumni Centre on the campus of WSU.
A respected and well-liked member of the department’s faculty, Stratton taught upper division courses on the American Civil War, American Popular Culture, a senior-level 469 seminar on the 1960’s counterculture era, and a recent class on the use of historical memory and legacy studies in relation to the 50th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy Assassination.
According to the Whitman County Coroner’s office, Stratton, 51, died in an accident resulting from a seizure on the evening of Feb. 18 while walking his dog near his home in Pullman. Officials said the death was related to an existing medical condition.
“Scott was an especially friendly, approachable, and helpful colleague, always glad to assist the department in any way possible,” said Raymond Sun, chair of the WSU Department of History, wrote following Stratton’s death. “We will miss his passion for history, his love of teaching, and his down-to-earth, collegial spirit.
“During the five years that Scott was with the department, he covered the full range of courses, from survey lectures for freshmen to research seminars for graduating seniors. He was, in the very best sense of the term, the ‘utility infielder’ for undergraduate teaching in American history—versatile, reliable, and effective,” Sun wrote. “His student evaluations and full classroom enrollments showed that students also recognized and respected his broad expertise and his willingness to share his enthusiasm for history.”
A native of Pullman, Stratton earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history from WSU and went on to earn a doctoral degree in Early and Modern U.S. and Public History from Arizona State University, Tempe, in 2007. He subsequently returned to Pullman and joined the faculty of the Department of History, following a career path similar to that of his father, WSU Professor Emeritus David Stratton.
In addition to his father, Stratton is survived by his sister, Nancy Stratton Hall, of Olympia; his brother Michael J. Stratton and his wife Cheryl, of Edmonds; five nieces and nephews and six great-nieces and great-nephews. His mother, Wanda Cummings Stratton, died in 2012.
The family requests that no flowers be sent, but contributions may be made to the Scott David Stratton Scholarship Fund in the WSU History Department, Pullman, WA, 99164-4030.
Media contact:
Robert Strenge, WSU News, 509-335-3583, rstrenge@wsu.edu