Past Presidents

Ralph Waldo Swetman

In his three years as president, Ralph W. Swetman saw the student population double, from 532 to at least 1,000. He challenged both students and faculty to set high academic standards for themselves, believing that "good thinking today is best preparation for tomorrow."

Swetman was instrumental in the development of a strong teacher training program at the college. He felt that an education should be affordable to all students in the state, and attempted to make the college a student-centered institution. In 1932, Swetman conceived the possibility of a self-supported summer session - now one of the largest in the country.