Former Prof. and Lifelong Educator Roy Swihart Retires

January 7, 2015

"Roy Swihart has been in education for more than 72 years -- one way or another," reports the Citrus County Chronicle of Crystal River, Florida.  " 'I entered first grade in 1942,' Swihart recalled on Thursday, Dec. 18 -- his last day as a guidance counselor at Citrus High School."

The article by Carly Zervis notes that Swihart's schooling began in northern Indiana, where most of his classmates were Amish.  "After he finished his formal education, he began to teach others.  He taught middle and high school social studies, then spent 25 years as a university professor at Wisconsin State University and later at DePauw, where he taught secondary education and school administration to both undergrads and graduate students. He also spent five years as a principal at a private high school."

Dr. Swihart came to DePauw in 1969 as an assistant professor of education.  He became an associate professor in 1983 and left the University in 1990.  Swihart served as acting chair of the education department in 1980-81.

The professor and his wife, Carolyn, who earned a master's in education from DePauw in 1974, retired to Florida, but Roy Swihart wasn't finished -- he took the job as a guidance counselor 16 1/2 years ago. (at left: Professor Swihart works with a DePauw student over Winter Term 1985)

"We have a fabulous team here that gets along wonderfully and cooperatively as a team," Dr. Swihart says of Citrus High.  "And then I have a lot of very good students.  I love these students that come in, and they've got these plans, and I can help them."

Travel is on the agenda for the Swiharts in this retirement, and he tells the paper he means it this time.

Visit the Chronicle online.

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