413:
faculty preparation. However, Oswego State had just one doctorate on faculty; more than half had no degrees. Swetman ordered that no faculty member who did not get a master's degree would stay beyond 1935, and he also made it clear that he wanted more men on staff. Many of the longtime faculty of the school resigned in response, but the effect of the decision was to catapult Oswego State into the top 20% of teachers colleges in the country. Other necessary improvements came in the school's physical plant; new buildings were added, such as Park Hall, and new athletic fields were also built.
421:. In order to meet this challenge, Swetman brought an Air Corps unit to Oswego in 1943. He did so by bypassing the state government and negotiating a contract directly in Washington; the state government was none too pleased until it realized that Swetman's gamble had saved his staff. Oswego State lost no positions, and it educated 808 cadets. On another occasion, he had to defend his school from a state proposal to consolidate the industrial arts department at Buffalo.
25:
366:, which had been bypassed as the location of the normal school. In academics, Swetman introduced a grade point average system, academic probation, and an honor roll and raised qualifications for full-time faculty members. Meanwhile, the school grew in other ways; a women's athletic association was created in 1925, and Humboldt staged its first intercollegiate football contest in 1927.
416:
Swetman's time included new highs and new lows; under his guidance, Oswego State established its first extension service, and in 1940, the school granted its first industrial arts degree. Swetman also advocated for the conversion of New York's normal schools, including Oswego State, to teachers
412:
The
Swetman administration, which lasted until 1947, confronted an institution that had lagged in adapting to higher educational standards. In 1926, the American Association of Teachers Colleges increased its standards and thus kept teachers colleges par with liberal arts schools in regards to
393:. In his three years as president, the school doubled its enrollment to cross the 1,000-student threshold. He focused on the development of good teacher-training programs and attempted to build a student-centered institution. He also conceived of a self-supported summer session at the school.
341:
and took particular interest in the issue of school equalization. This embarrassed the Normal School, and
Swetman felt he could not give up the cause, so he resigned. Later, he was hired by a campaign that successfully brought equalization to the state's schools.
440:
Buildings were named for
Swetman at Humboldt (the Swetman Child Development Lab) and SUNY Oswego (Swetman Hall, completed in 1963). The latter building no longer exists separately, having been folded into the larger Campus Center.
497:
785:
338:
429:
In 1947, Swetman retired from Oswego, having suffered serious physical fatigue, including a severe heart attack on
November 3, 1946. He would later make an excursion into politics in
409:; he was its fourth principal. He was sought at this time by two normal schools in New York, and when asked which one was the greater challenge to lead, he replied, "Oswego".
584:
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577:
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354:, during which time he produced a book on California school law that was used by many schools in the state. In 1924, he took up the presidency at
775:
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337:. He then joined the US Army, and on his return, he headed up the school's extension service. In 1921, Swetman was elected president of the
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278:(November 10, 1886 – 1957) was an American educator and president of several teachers colleges in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.
760:
291:
544:
437:. He died in 1957 in Barbados, where he was on vacation with his wife. He was survived by a son and two daughters.
417:
colleges, which occurred in 1942. However, he also had to confront a sharp drop in enrollment associated with
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317:. There, he met and married Alice Pierson. After Palmyra, he went to Teachers College at
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At this time, he also accepted a summer assignment at the territorial normal school at
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556:"Chu bequest to name Swetman atrium, academic commons", SUNY Oswego, Nov. 15, 2006
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362:. In his six years at Humboldt, he helped repair relations between Arcata and
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After completing his master's, Swetman became the director of training at the
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In
January 1930, Swetman resigned at Humboldt State to succeed the retiring
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After his success in
Washington state, Swetman became a fellow at
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Beulah Counts
Rudolph, "Recollections of Dr. Ralph W. Swetman",
24:
786:
Presidents of
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
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A View from the Hill: A History of
Humboldt State University
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and spent a year at
Colgate Academy before transferring to
592:
433:, even running for mayor there, before moving again to
498:"Dr. Ralph Swetman Developed School to College Rank",
286:
Swetman was born on November 10, 1886, at a farm near
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He had several principalships in New York, first in
298:. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1907 with a
313:, followed by a return to Camden and four years at
168:California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
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771:Teachers College, Columbia University alumni
545:"The Emeriti Newsletter", SUNY Oswego, 2011
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476:Oswego County Historical Society Journal
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401:In 1933, Swetman left Tempe to head the
49:of all important aspects of the article.
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776:Presidents of Arizona State University
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595:Presidents of Arizona State University
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528:The New ASU Story: Ralph Waldo Swetman
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339:Washington State Education Association
82:State University of New York at Oswego
45:Please consider expanding the lead to
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389:and become the eighth president of
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766:Hamilton College (New York) alumni
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518:, Humboldt State University, 1993
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781:20th-century American academics
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356:Humboldt State Teachers College
321:to obtain his master's degree.
37:may be too short to adequately
549:
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331:Washington State Normal School
265:University President, Educator
47:provide an accessible overview
1:
444:
375:University of Hawaii at Manoa
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324:
16:American educator (1886–1957)
761:People from Camden, New York
391:Tempe State Teachers College
237:1957 (aged 70–71)
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403:Oswego State Normal School
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125:Arizona State University
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500:Oswego Palladium-Times
435:Coconut Grove, Florida
335:Ellensburg, Washington
190:Nelson Blieau Van Matr
166:2nd President of
123:8th President of
80:4th President of
425:Retirement and death
387:Arthur John Matthews
148:Arthur John Matthews
105:Arthur John Matthews
512:William R. Tanner,
431:Boca Raton, Florida
352:Stanford University
319:Columbia University
276:Ralph Waldo Swetman
256:Columbia University
70:Ralph Waldo Swetman
373:, now part of the
360:Arcata, California
292:Camden High School
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502:November 12, 1957
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224:November 10, 1886
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407:Oswego, New York
371:Honolulu, Hawaii
296:Hamilton College
288:Camden, New York
252:Hamilton College
227:Camden, New York
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209:Personal details
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32:This article's
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307:New York Mills
300:Phi Beta Kappa
290:. He attended
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41:the key points
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160:Grady Gammage
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117:Grady Gammage
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55:February 2016
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419:World War II
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397:Oswego State
384:
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328:
309:and then in
304:
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196:Succeeded by
175:
155:Succeeded by
132:
112:Succeeded by
89:
52:
36:
34:lead section
756:1957 deaths
751:1886 births
722:(1990–2002)
714:(1981–1989)
706:(1971–1981)
698:(1969–1971)
690:(1960–1969)
682:(1959–1960)
674:(1933–1959)
666:(1930–1933)
658:(1900–1930)
650:(1899–1900)
642:(1895–1899)
634:(1892–1895)
626:(1890–1892)
618:(1888–1890)
610:(1886–1888)
381:Tempe State
200:Arthur Gist
186:Preceded by
143:Preceded by
100:Preceded by
745:Categories
680:Richardson
640:McNaughton
445:References
346:California
325:Washington
262:Profession
247:Alma mater
220:1886-11-10
180:1924–1930
176:In office
137:1930–1933
133:In office
94:1933–1947
90:In office
39:summarize
730:(2002– )
656:Matthews
632:Storment
240:Barbados
704:Schwada
696:Newburn
672:Gammage
664:Swetman
315:Palmyra
712:Nelson
688:Durham
608:Farmer
530:, 2000
364:Eureka
311:Groton
229:, U.S.
648:Smith
302:key.
728:Crow
720:Coor
624:Reed
616:Long
478:1971
282:Life
234:Died
214:Born
405:in
358:in
333:in
747::
535:^
484:^
452:^
377:.
586:e
579:t
572:v
222:)
218:(
57:)
53:(
43:.
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