C.D. Northcutt was born in Alabama, but came to Oklahoma as an infant. He attended Lone Star School and graduated from Lexington High School at age 15 before receiving his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Oklahoma (1938). He began his law practice in Ponca City in 1938 and served in the U.S. Army in World War II from 1941 to 1946, where he received the Bronze Star and the Air Medal. He was offered a promotion to Brigadier General in 1949, but declined in order to remain committed to his law practice. He was the president of the Kay County Bar Association (1949) and the Oklahoma Bar Association (1972-1976). Northcutt served as president of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce (1950) and the Kiwanis Club (1948) and was named Ponca City’s Outstanding Citizen in 1982. His service to OU is extensive and he was a co-founder of the Cherokee Strip Golf Classic, which raised money for the Opportunity Center for mentally and physically challenged children in Ponca City and the surrounding area.