2011 CHS Distinguished Alumni
Dr. Len E. Tontz
Class of 1961
Len Tontz was born and raised on a farm eight miles southwest of Crescent. He attended Abell School, a two-room country school, for eight years prior to enrolling at CHS. In high school, he was active in sports and vocational agriculture and was selected co-captain of the varsity football team and president of the FFA chapter. During high school, he met and later married a fellow classmate and love of his life, Linda (Ellis) Tontz.
After graduating from CHS in 1961, Len attended Central State College (UCO) where he graduated in 1965 with a B.S. degree in Biology and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corp. He then reported for duty in Quantico, Virginia where he completed Officer Basic School and Combat Engineer School, prior to being ordered to Vietnam. While stationed near the DMZ in Vietnam, he served as a combat engineer platoon leader and battalion intelligence officer. He was later promoted to the rank of Captain and became a Company Commander. For his service, he was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Service and the Presidential Unit Citation, among others.
Following active duty, Len purchased a farm northwest of Guthrie where he began a farming operation and life-long career as an educator. He taught science at Mulhall-Orlando and Guthrie public Schools for five years and then returned to graduate school to complete a Masters and Doctorate degree in education administration at Oklahoma State University. While in graduate school, he was awarded a graduate fellowship and received a National Science Foundation grant for the study of earth sciences. He then continued his career in education by serving as an Adjunct Professor at OSU and administrator for the Oklahoma Department of Vocational and Technicl Education. He later served as an Education Consultant for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, where he created and administered a statewide jobs training program for high school youth with disabilities.
Len continued his military service on a part-time basis as a member of the Oklahoma Army National Guard and Army Reserves, where he was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel prior to retirement. While in the reserves, he served as a Military Academy Liason Officer and instructor for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was also selected by the Army War College to participate in a national issues seminar in Washington, D.C.
Following retirement, he was elected by the Central Rural Electric Cooperative membership to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees. He has been chosen by that board to serve as board chairman for the past three years. Len also served a four year term as a member of the Logan Medical Center Board of Trustees and continues to be active in church and civic activities in the Guthrie community.
Len and his wife linda have three married children and seven grandchildren, and continues to live on their farm northwest of Guthrie.
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