Dwight Stoddard
Dwight Stoddard received his formal education in Lawton at Washington Grade School, Central Junior High School and Lawton Senior High School, where he graduated in 1959. He attended Cameron Junior College for two years before transferring to Oklahoma State University, where he completed a degree in mathematics. In 1964, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the OSU Army ROTC. He served two years on active duty in Chun Chon, Korea, and continued in the Army Reserve for 28 more years, retiring as a full colonel in 1994.
After returning from military service, Stoddard worked as business manager and became owner of a large chinchilla ranch. He returned to OSU to complete a degree in accounting. In 1974, he joined the Oklahoma Department of Vocational and Technical Education as a field auditor for the Federal Manpower and Development Program. His other major responsibilities included travel reimbursement, legislative budget request, budget work program and cost per program report. He also helped the seven student organizations, the Oklahoma CareerTech Foundation and the Oklahoma FFA Foundation with accounting. Stoddard returned to OSU and completed a master’s degree in accounting in 1982. He was promoted to internal auditor, supervisor of internal audits and audit manager at ODCTE, before retiring after 33 years. In 2002, he received the prestigious Dr. Arch Alexander Award. Stoddard also received the National Association of State Directors of Vocational Education's Distinguished Service Award.
Stoddard serves on the board of directors of the Oklahoma CareerTech Foundation, the Oklahoma FFA Foundation and OSU Ag-Ed Scholarship Inc. He has received the Glencoe Honorary Chapter FFA Degree, the Honorary State FFA Degree, the Honorary American FFA Degree, the Glencoe FFA Chapter VIP Award and the Oklahoma FFA Association VIP Award. At the 2013 National FFA Convention, he received the National FFA Organization VIP Award. He is director of state officer elections for the State FFA Association and serves as a proficiency award and speech contest judge annually at the National FFA Convention.
Stoddard is very active in the Stillwater Elks Lodge, where he serves as a trustee and co-chairman of the annual barbecue cook-off and the Community Service Committee, which provides services to Oklahoma Special Olympics, Judith Karman Hospice and the OSU women’s softball team. He also volunteers for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and all golf tournaments held at Karsten Creek.
Stoddard and his wife, Linda, have been married for 44 years. He is an avid, but not very good, golfer. He also enjoys his fishing trips to Canada and playing gin rummy and dominoes with the boys.
Stoddard was inducted into the CareerTech Hall of Fame in 2013.
