This scholarship is established as a tribute to the career of Stanely P. Swenson by William E. “Bill” Kreitz, Jr. and Dorna Kreitz (Ingwalson) both of whom are alumna of WSU. Dorna studied child development. She served as President of the Phi Lamda Theta honor society at WSU during her senior year. She credits her enrollment at WSU from her east coast home to Dr. Swenson, her godfather. For several years Dorna was a pre-school teacher and director, and she has served her community in many ways including political, social and environmental conservation. Bill is an alumnus of the College of Business and Economics. After five years with Boeing in Seattle and three years with a California defense firm, Bill and Dorna moved to Virginia with their three children. Bill retired in 1991 from Atlantic Research Corporation in Virginia as Vice President for Business Management. Stanely P. Swenson was an alumnus of the University of Minnesota where he studied in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. He received a BS degree from the University of Minnesota in 1932, an MS in 1935, and a Ph.D. in 1936. In 1974 he received the University’s Outstanding Achievement Award. In 1941, Dr. Swenson accepted a position as Assistant Professor of farm corps and Associate Geneticist at WSU. Dr. Swenson excelled at the administration of academic and research programs while teaching at WSU and these abilities were recognized through a series of promotions, the last of which was as Dean of the College of Agriculture. Following an assignment with the U.S. Military as a consultant on agricultural research institutions in Germany he returned to WSU, directing an exchange program with the University of Punjab in Pakistan. He was associated with the project for 13 years, five of them in Pakistan as Chief of the Mission, and responsible for planning and establishing a new agricultural university. After returning to WSU and serving as Director of International Programs for four years he accepted the position of Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. He retired in 1973 and settled in Sun City, California.
Award Requirements
The Stanley P. Swenson Scholarship will be awarded to undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. The awards will go to students within the Department of Human Development studying early childhood education and have junior class standing or higher, and are enrolled full time.
Preference will be given to students having high academic achievement and who show evidence of leadership and strong character qualities as well as those who have the desire and ability to be of service to needy people.