Philip Ray Haddock’s Legacy in Education Continues Through Scholarship
Shane Haddock clicked the link that sent him to a new scholarship on the Chahta Foundation’s website. There was his father’s name, prominently displayed. “Phillip Ray Haddock” stood out above the scholarship’s description.
After a prolonged illness, Shane’s father, Philip, passed in August 2018. Philip Ray Haddock dedicated 42 years of his life to helping others launch their careers. Married forty-nine and a half years, Philip and his wife, Carole, had a combined 75 years in the education field.
Shane grew up with his parents teaching in the school he attended in Colbert, Oklahoma.
“I run into people all the time, not only my classmates but people from forever back that say, ‘Your mom taught me this,’ or ‘I was in your dad’s class’ at Colbert or Denison,” he says. “Everyone always has good things to say.”
Shane went to work for the Choctaw Nation 11 years ago, and is currently the director of the Johnson-O’Malley Program. Early on, he became aware of the Chahta Foundation and opted to support the Ittvnahah employee scholarship with a regular donation from his paycheck.
“I’ve been so honored to be part of the Choctaw Nation and what we’ve been able to accomplish over these years,” Shane says. “My dad admired how the Choctaw Nation treated not just its tribal members, but the communities in Oklahoma, and people across the United States — tribal members and non-tribal members.”
After his dad passed, Shane spoke with his mother Carole, and they agreed a vocational/technical scholarship would best honor Philip’s life.
“I wanted to make sure we had my mom’s input on the qualifications because no one knew him better than her,” Shane says. “The parameters of the scholarship fall in line where my dad did most of his teaching career in Southeastern Oklahoma, within the Choctaw Nation. He taught welding, drafting, and architectural design. If students wanted to go on to a four-year college, that was great; if not, he was there to help them learn a vocational skill to carry them into a great job and a great career.”
When Shane viewed the scholarship on the website, it was a tremendous moment. Yet that didn’t compare to when he saw another name: Colton White, the recipient of the 2019 Phillip Ray Haddock Scholarship.
“That was surreal,” Shane says. “This is a real person it’s attached to now. I know my dad would have been impressed.”
Credit: Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
