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Richard F. Stratton (Born September first, 1931, in Loveland, Colorado). is a renowned Author, Teacher, Dog-show Judge and Parent. Known for writing the first publicly-published book on the American Pit Bull Terrier. He has been a leading ambassador for the bred for many decades.

Schools: Highland Elementary, Ajo High School in Arizona, Conrad High School in Montana, and Boulder High School in Colorado. University of Colorado for a BA, San Diego State University for a Masters and PhD equivalency, and the University of California at San Diego for a graduate class.

He joined the military with his best friend in 1950, right after the Korean War broke out. Intent on being fighter pilots, the two friends learned that they needed two years of college for that, so, full of vigor and stupidity, they went right down to the army recruiter and signed up for the airborne (paratroops). Eager to be another Audie Murphy, Stratton wanted to go to Korea after basic training and jump school, but his division, the Eleventh Airborne at Fort Campbell, KY, was on alert to go, but never did. In frustration, he attended many schools, including bomb disarming, Ranger training, CBR School at Fort Bragg, and was subsequently sent to Camp Desert Rock, Nevada, to witness the detonation of an atomic bomb, similar to the ones dropped on Japan. He also attended Reconnaissance School, and he learned to fly small aircraft for surveillance.

He attained the rank of staff sergeant and was recommended for Officer’s Candidate School before being discharged in 1053. During this time, his lust for war was tempered by old soldiers from the second World War telling of the misery and horror of war, along with stories about atrocities committed by both sides. After being out of the military for a few years, he became a peace proponent, dropping out of Air Force ROTC. He acknowledges that humans are tribal and have a warrior streak, but his view is that it can be satisfied by participating in sports. And he was for a time the assistant wrestling coach at San Diego State University under the renowned Harry Broadbent.

Working for most of his life in the public schools as a teacher and administrator, he is primarily known for writing the first publicly-published book on the American Pit Bull Terrier since 1947. The book, This Is the American Pit Bull Terrier, became so popular that the publishers requested more books on the subject. There followed The Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier in 1981, The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier, and The Truth about the American Pit Bull Terrier in 1991.

The books were praised and condemned, but some reviews were actually good. The thing that was different about them was that Stratton didn’t condemn pit fighting, but tried to explain it instead. Nonetheless, the book editors were universal in their praise of them.

Other activities

While living in an apartment after a move from Colorado to California, Stratton began keeping aquarium fish, and he became particularly interested in cichlid fishes. He started a correspondence club, the American Cichlid Association that eventually became one of the biggest clubs from the work of others, with yearly conventions all over the country. He gave a PowerPoint presentation in Louisville, KY, in 2022, approaching his ninety-first birthday at the yearly convention for that year.

Other Books

He wrote two other books on breeds of dogs, one on the Border Collie and one on the Rottweiler, and he wrote numerous books on cichlids, as well as species of marine species that can be kept in aquariums. In all, he has written thirty-two books.

Personal Life

He has three younger sisters, all of them now dead. In 1957, he married fellow-student, Stephanie Wilens. She died of pneumonia in 2008. They had three sons, Mark Chapman, Robert Joseph, and John Samuel, all still thriving. He has two grandchildren, Veronica Stratton, a nutritionist, and Hunter Stratton, an airline pilot.

Always interested in Collies from reading fiction books by Albert Payson Terhune, he was disappointed that his Collies were bulled by a neighborhood German Shepherd. Carson Marrow, chief of the Border Patrol at the time and a former famous sheriff, raised game chickens and fighting dogs. He lent Stratton a small brindle Bulldog (so called by Marrow). It was from that incident that he became interested in Pit Bulls.