Olivet College inducts two into Athletic Hall of Fame

OLIVET, Mich. -- Robert “Bobby” Dozier of Detroit and U.S. Naval Captain Ronald Stites were inducted into the Olivet College Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 5. The inductees were also honored during halftime of the Comets’ season-opening football game versus Defiance (Ohio) College on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Dozier, a 1968 graduate of Olivet College, was a member of Olivet’s football team and went on to coach, teach and serve as the athletic director at Detroit Mackenzie High School. While at Mackenzie he coached 15 high school All-Americans along with eight players who went on to play in the National Football League. Dozier was inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1993.

Dozier earned a master’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1977.

Capt. Stites, a 1977 graduate of Olivet College, starred and lettered in wrestling for four years and finished his college career with a record 62 wins and 29 losses. As a senior, he was the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament champion of the 142-pound weight class after finishing third his freshman, sophomore and junior years.

After graduating from Olivet, Capt. Stites was commissioned via Aviation Officers Candidate School and designated a Naval Flight Officer in July, 1978. He has served in a variety of positions including Chief of Staff for Task Force 50, the Arabian Gulf Carrier Battle Force during Operation Iraqi Freedom; Deputy Director of Operations for the Atlantic Fleet; Commanding Officer of Attack Squadron One Seventy Five and has directed intermediate and advanced Carrier Battle Strikes for 12 Carrier Strike Groups.