SR1208 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1208 LRB101 21580 MST 72507 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Burton E. "Burt" Swanson Ph.D. of Champaign, who passed away on April 23, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson was born in Bureau County to Harlan and Evelyn (Wessel) Swanson on November 28, 1939; he grew up on the family farm near Princeton and graduated from Bureau Township High School in 1957 in a class of eight; he attended Illinois State University and then the University of Illinois, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education in 1961; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson joined the Peace Corps and took his very first air flight, traveling to Washington, D.C. for training at Howard University; after training, he took his first international flight to his assignment in Cyprus; he was called home to Washington at the death of President John Kennedy and continued to serve in the Peace Corps as a recruiting officer; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson earned his Master of Science in International Agricultural Development from the University of California-Davis in 1968 and his Ph.D. in development studies from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1974; during this time, he worked with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug at CIMMYT (the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) in Mexico; after earning a postdoctorate at Wisconsin, he accepted a position at the University of Illinois in 1975, where he remained for his entire academic and international career; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson was a professor of rural development in the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) and director of INTERPAKS (International Program for Agricultural Knowledge Systems), directing and teaching a series of short courses for international participants from around the world; he was also a senior fellow for International Service for National Agricultural Research at The Hague; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson had a long and distinguished career in international agricultural extension and rural development and is recognized as an international authority in the field; he traveled around the world, serving in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Egypt, and Russia and working extensively in China and India, with 80 assignments in over 35 countries; he spent his career working to improve national extension systems in order to increase agricultural productivity and food security in developing nations, in an environmentally sustainable way; among his colleagues, he was known for his intense focus and tireless work ethic; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson worked with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Bank, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Office (FAO) in Rome; he was a founder and the first president of the Association of International Agricultural Extension Education (AIAEE); he wrote and edited several books, one of which was translated into seven languages; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson provided leadership for the value-added agricultural research and extension program at the University of Illinois; he also taught a discovery course for freshmen at the university and delighted in sharing with new students his in-depth knowledge and insights about the world and its problems and what their future roles in that world might be; he secured a $9 million dollar grant in 2010 to establish the MEAS project (Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services); and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson received numerous national and international awards, including the University of Illinois Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement, the Paul A. Funk Recognition Award from the College of ACES, the C-U International Humanitarian Award, and the Outstanding Service Award from AIAEE; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson was devoted to his children and cherished his family and the time spent with them; he was an extraordinary, generous, and loving grandfather; he loved attending the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, scuba diving and swimming, traveling just for fun, enjoying the beauty of Allerton Park, supporting his favorite causes, and spending time with his many friends and colleagues; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson was preceded in death by his parents; his sister-in-law, Sylvia Swanson; and his son-in-law, Alan Rankin; and

WHEREAS, Burt Swanson is survived by his wife, Iris (Arend-Frillman); his daughter, Anne Swanson; his son, David (Sally); his granddaughters, Sophia and Alyssa; his brother, Roger Swanson; his wife's family, Leslie (Alan) Rankin, Jamie (Brian) Shamhart, and Scott (Christine) Frillman; his grandsons, Miles and Seth Rankin, Nicholas, Jason, and Will Frillman and Cole Shamhart; his nephews, Ronald (Dawn) Swanson and Peter (Connie) Swanson; and his great-nieces and great-nephew, Betsy, Erica, Veronica, Nicole, Natalie, and Nate Swanson; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Burton E. "Burt" Swanson and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Burt Swanson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.