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Dorothy Constance Stratton (b. March 24, 1899 in Brookfield, Missouri) (d. September 17, 2006 in West Lafayette, Indiana was the director of the SPARS, the United States Coast Guard Women's Reserve during World War II. Image File history File links Scoutsgreengoldnoscroll. ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in leap years). ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Brookfield is a city located in Linn County, Missouri. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Two Great Cities, One Great University. ... SPARS was the United States Coast Guard Womens Reserve created in 1942 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. ... Coast Guard Seal The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a military branch of the United States involved in maritime law, mariner assistance, and search and rescue, among other duties of coast guards elsewhere. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

She graduated from Ottawa University in 1920 and received her Master's degree from the University of Chicago. She received a Ph.D. from Columbia University. She taught at public high schools in Brookfield, Missouri, Renton, Washington and San Bernardino, California (she was dean of girls at San Bernardino High School) before joining the faculty at Purdue University as dean of women and assistant professor of psychology. Ottawa University (OU) is a not-for-profit educational institution affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. It was founded in 1865. ... The University of Chicago is a private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. ... Columbia University is a private university whose main campus lies in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of the Borough of Manhattan in New York City. ... Location Location of Renton in King County and Washington Coordinates , Government County King Mayor Russ Feather Geographical characteristics Area     City 44. ... San Bernardino is the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... See also: Purdue University System Purdue University is a public land-grant university whose primary campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana on the bluffs above the Wabash River. ...

She served on the selection board for the Women's Army Corps V Corps area. In 1942, she took a leave of absence from Purdue and joined the WAVES, and was commissioned a lieutenant. WACs operate Teletype machines during World War II. The Womens Army Corps (WAC) was a special unit of the United States Army during World War II and thereafter which organized the female enlisted personnel. ... A WAVES Photographer 3rd Class The WAVES were a World War II era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. ...

In late 1942, she was ordered to Washington, DC to the office of the Commandant of the Coast Guard to organize the Coast Guard Women's Reserve, and was transferred from the Navy to the Coast Guard. She came up with the name SPARS using a contraction of the Coast Guard motto Semper Paratus and its English translation Always Ready. She was appointed its first director with a rank of lieutenant commander.

Stratton continued in the post until 1946 and rose to the rank of captain. As director, she oversaw over 10,000 enlisted women and 1,000 commissioned officers.

She left the Coast Guard in 1946 when the SPARS were demobilized. For her service she was awarded the Legion of Merit. The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces which is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ...

After the war, Stratton served as director of personnel for the International Monetary Fund (1947 - 1950). In 1950, she was national executive director of the Girl Scouts of America, a post she held until 1960. The logo of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization that oversees the global financial system by monitoring exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... It has been suggested that Mariner Scout be merged into this article or section. ...

As of late 2004, Stratton was living in West Lafayette, Indiana. Motto: Two Great Cities, One Great University. ...

The Women Officers Professional Association (now the Sea Services Leadership Association) named its Captain Dorothy Stratton Leadership Award in her honor. Created in 2001, the award is presented to a female officer (W-2 to O-4) of the Coast Guard who shows leadership and mentorship and who shares the Coast Guard's core values.

In 2005, the Ottawa University Alumni Association awarded its Outstanding Achievement Award to Stratton.

Reference

• Who's Who of American Women. (1959) Vol. I. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.