Dedication ceremony honors the life of William “Jack” Stratton

Last week, family, friends and coworkers joined to honor the life and contributions of William “Jack” Stratton. Stratton, who passed away in May 2019, dedicated more than four decades to the facility, hiring on at Homestake Gold Mine at the age of 18 and concluding his career at Sanford Underground Research Facility (Sanford Lab). The event included words from those who knew him well, the dedication of “Stratton Station” at Sanford Lab and a proclamation from the Governor of South Dakota, which declared November 19, 2020 “William ‘Jack’ Stratton Day.”

The dedication took place in an environment that Stratton himself would not have imagined. Audience members, which included his family members, friends and long-time coworkers, joined online from their homes and offices. When the event began, the audience watched speakers walk to the podium, one at a time, remove their masks, share fond memories of Stratton, then don their masks again before walking off screen. Another speaker, Stratton’s granddaughter Hannah, even joined the event virtually from her dining room table.

Like most events held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the dedication was a virtual gathering. The strangeness of meeting virtually, however, quickly fell away as speakers began recounting memories of a man who brought everyone closer together, who made sure everyone knew that they belonged.

Speakers included William McElroy, who worked with Stratton in the effort to reopen the Yates Shaft for science; Dan Regan, Sanford Lab surface operations foreman; Cabot-Ann Christofferson, researcher with the Majorana Demonstrator experiment; Patrick Urbanick, Sanford Lab Yates Shaft superintendent; Mike Headley, who, as the executive director of Sanford Lab, worked closely with Stratton; and Hannah TerEick, Stratton’s granddaughter.

These speakers knew Stratton as many things: a servant leader; a friend; a grandfather; a walking encyclopedia; a good-natured gossip; an engaging (if sometimes long-winded) storyteller; and, above all, a great man. A common theme was Stratton’s fondness for conversation. Urbanick noted with a chuckle, “It did not matter if you had time for a conversation; Jack did.” And TerEick explained that, just as Stratton talked to his coworkers at Sanford Lab about his big family at home, he often told his kids and grandkids about his big family at Sanford Lab.

Headley read South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s proclamation, which declared November 19, 2020 “William ‘Jack’ Stratton Day.” Read the full proclamation here. 

McElroy unveiled the Stratton Station plaque, which shows Stratton, smiling broadly, and reads: “Dedicated to the memory of Jack Stratton and his many years of service to Sanford Underground Research Facility and Homestake Mine. August 11, 1948 – May 13, 2019.”

Audience members watched as Regan held the “Stratton Station” plaque to his chest and carried it through the Yates Yard, into the headframe and onto the Yates Cage. The live video followed as Regan rode the cage from the top of the Yates Shaft to the Yates Ramp, hereafter known as “Stratton Station.”

As the plaque was mounted, McElroy said, “This is the area where all people using the Yates Shaft to go underground will pass by and see the smiling face of Jack Stratton.”

Stratton’s main goal at Sanford Lab was to reopen and to maintain the Yates Shaft, which allowed research at the underground facility to begin in earnest. Due to his dedication, the Yates Shaft today is considered “the highway to the underground” at America’s Underground Science Laboratory.

Watch the full Stratton Station Dedication below. 

Stratton Station Dedication from Sanford Lab on Vimeo.