John Swenson, MD (BS Med ’52), died April 6, 2009, at age 81, because of kidney failure.

A native of Jamestown, ND, upon graduation from Jamestown High School in 1946, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He graduated from Jamestown College in 1950, received the Bachelor of Science in Medicine degree from UND in 1952, and earned his MD degree from the University of Nebraska in 1954.

At UND, Dr. Swenson is memorialized by the John A. Swenson Student Health Services clinic, named in his honor in 1998. During 18 years as director of the clinic, he revolutionized its scale and methods, bringing it from a one-nurse infirmary to a full-service medical facility that included many innovations, making care accessible and affordable. His small-town doctoring approach remained constant even as Student Health Services grew to more than 30,000 outpatient visits annually.

Dr. Swenson retired as director of the UND Student Health Services on Dec. 30, 1994.