James Curtis Swanson

James Curtis Swanson
"Jim”

He was born on April 5, 1934, to Arthur & Ann Swanson. Jim grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with summers spent at the family farms in Plummer. He graduated from Minnehaha Academy in 1952, and later became a member of their President's Association. After high school, Jim attended Dunwoody College of Technology, where he studied HVAC & Sheet Metal. After graduation, he began work with the Sheet Metal Workers of Minnesota (Local 34). Jim was an instructor at Dunwoody College of Technology and Hennepin Technical Center. While teaching, Jim completed his bachelor’s degree in adult education/minor in industrial arts education. He completed his Masters at U of M after working in adult administration at Eden Prairie Vo Tech. He was a founder of Metropolitan State University.

Faith was integral in the Swanson household and Jim was a lifelong member of Bethlehem Covenant Church, where he served and sang in the choir and Lucia. It was there that he met his wife of 64 years, Elizabeth, who was working as the church's organist. They married on August 11, 1956 and settled in Richfield, where they raised their daughter Vicki and son Derrick.

Always active in his community, Jim was a member of the Richfield Jaycees & served on the Richfield School Board. He was a dedicated advocate for education and pioneered the transformation of the education system in Minnesota, specific to the advancement of vocational technology programs. He served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for 9 terms. Jim served as the Chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee as well as Transportation, Education, Veterans and Elections Committees. Noteworthy achievements in Jim's legislative career were developing a policy making for the creation of a non-profit Health Maintenance Organization for the state of Minnesota, creation of the Catastrophic Health Bill, Building of the Cedar Ave Bridge and development of the Mall of America and support of the MN Zoo in Apple Valley.

Jim and Elizabeth were avid travelers throughout North & South America, Europe, Asia, Holy Lands, Australia & New Zealand including a memorable family trip to his ancestors' homeland of Sweden. In retirement, Jim had designed and built a cabin equipped with a boathouse on Baby Lake, Hackensack MN the family relocated from Richfield to Hackensack where Jim took the family boating and fishing to the channeled McKeown and Mann lakes searching for the “big one”. They spent winters at their home in Naples, Florida, where Jim sang Bass in the choir at Lely Presbyterian and in Barbershop Quartets. Jim enjoyed reading about history and politics and was interested in family genealogy. In 2017, he and Elizabeth published a comprehensive family history, entitled "Our Scandinavian- American Beginnings (Swansons, Svenssons, Graffs, and Mortensons 1843-2017)" which he gifted to extended family members.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Elizabeth; son, Derrick; and grandson, Alex. Jim was devoted to his family, friends, and to community philanthropy. Left to honor Jim's legacy are his devoted daughter, Vicki; sister, Irene (Roy); nephew, Steven (Karen); daughter in-law, Caroline; grandchildren, James (Michelle), Christine, Peter (Kayla); great-grandchildren, Brody & Cora; and several cousins.