Dwight T. Pitcaithley was born on October 23, 1944, in Carlsbad, New Mexico, to Alexander Pitcaithley and Carolyn Townsend Pitcaithley. He graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1962. After high school and a few years of college, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. From 1964 to 1966, he served as a radio operator in a 105-mm artillery battery in California and Hawaii and then with the 5th Marine Division near Chu Lai, Vietnam where he was wounded in action and received the Purple Heart.

By 1967 Dwight had resumed life as a civilian and decided to give college another try. He returned to Eastern New Mexico University where he received a B.A. (1970) and M.A. (1971) in history. He earned his Ph.D. in history from Texas Tech University in 1976.

His work with the National Park Service began as a seasonal laborer (1963-

1964) and park guide (1968) at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Following graduation from Texas Tech, Dwight became a research historian for the Southwest Region in Santa Fe from 1976-1979. Dwight quickly realized he had found his calling and soon advanced to be Regional Historian for the North Atlantic Region in Boston (1979-1989), then to Chief of the Division of Cultural Resources, National Capitol Region in Washington D.C. (1989-1995) and ultimately ended his National Park Service career as Chief Historian of the National Park Service (1995-2005). Much of Pitcaithley's work at the Park Service focused on historic preservation and the interpretation of historical sites. This made him a prolific writer and presenter at conferences throughout the States and abroad

Pitcaithley has received the Distinguished Service Award from the Organization of American Historians (2005); an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of North Carolina (2011); the Robert Kelley Memorial Award from the National Council on Public History (2006), and the Sequoia Award for contributions to the National Park Service Interpretation and Education Program (2002). He was also honored as a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, Visiting Distinguished Public Historian at Middle Tennessee State University

(2006), and as a Distinguished American Scholar by the Fulbright New Zealand Board of Directors (2000). He also served as the President of the National Council on Public History and the George Wright Society, and as an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University.

Dwight married Mary Sabette Stephens on August 22, 1968. They raised one daughter, Catherine and currently live in Las Cruces, where he stays active writing books, lecturing, and being a student and collector of New Mexican art.