Henry M. Swenson
On July 21, 2013 periodontics lost a true renaissance man and a past president of The American Academy of Periodontology, Henry M. Swenson. Henry was an aviator, avid water sports enthusiast, golfer, bridge player, ham radio operator, collector of Corvette convertibles, and builder of airplanes. In his 90’s he qualified to fly sea planes and continued to fly regularly until two years ago when he found it too difficult to climb in and out of the cockpit! He stayed young his entire life, but in years, he was 96.
Dr. Swenson was instrumental in establishing the Department of Periodontics at Indiana University School of Dentistry, serving as chairman of clinical periodontics and graduate director. He held the longest faculty appointment in the history of the dental school, serving from 1943 to 2010. His 67 years at the school represented more than half of its existence. Dr. Swenson also operated a private practice in Indianapolis for more than 60 years, offering free cleanings to any patient who had been with him for 50 years – he had 12 that qualified!
He served as president of the American Academy of Periodontology in the 1974 and was awarded its two highest honors: the Gold Medal and the Presidential Award. In 2008 he received special award from the Academy for attending 67 consecutive meetings. He co-founded the Midwest Society of Periodontology and Indiana Society of Periodontology serving as president of both organizations. He was also a beloved honorary member of the Southern Academy of Periodontology. He was a member of the American Dental Association , the Indiana Dental Association and the Indianapolis District Dental Society, which honored him in March for his 70 years of service.
His love of airplanes began as a teenager in Long Island, N.Y., where he learned the ropes at Roosevelt Field, the same airport from which Charles Lindbergh departed in his trans-Atlantic flight. Following World War II, Dr. Swenson served in the Civil Air Patrol. He began flying his own planes in the 1960s and soon thereafter, began rebuilding antique aircraft. He completed eight such projects, the last one when he was nearly 85 years old.
A longtime member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Dr. Swenson also built an experimental biplane from scratch and later donated it to the EAA museum in Oshkosh, Wis. For many years, that Acro-Sport was prominently displayed at the EAA air show in Oshkosh, which draws thousands of people annually.
Growing up in Bellmore, N.Y., Dr. Swenson became an excellent swimmer and was a lifeguard at Jones Beach on Long Island. He continued to enjoy water sports much of his life. At age 80, a typical Saturday was water skiing in the morning, windsurfing in the early afternoon and flying later in the afternoon. The only reason that he gave up water skiing was that the owner and driver of the boat retired and moved to Florida.
He also enjoyed golf for many years, though never took it too seriously. In fact, he seldom kept score. Would ruin a perfectly good day outdoors, he said. He was a member of Twin Lakes Golf Club.
Dr. Swenson was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Aug. 13, 1916, the son of Swedish immigrants Olaf and Sigrid (Holmgren) Swenson. As a young boy, his parents moved to Long Island, where the family operated a dairy farm. Later in life, the Brooklyn-born kid could wow rural friends with his milking prowess. He attended Clemson College and then earned bachelor and dental degrees from the University of Illinois. He completed a pathology fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia. While at Illinois, he met nursing student Theresa Boross on a blind date. They married two weeks after Pearl Harbor, Dec. 20, 1941, celebrating their 71st anniversary last year. He would serve in the U.S. Navy for one year during the war.
Besides his wife, survivors include children Carol (Ken) Jue, Keene, N.H.; Nancy (Michael) Kosares, Denver; Patti (Don) Beardsley, Raleigh, N.C.; and Tom (Jane) Swenson, Indianapolis; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Henry M. Swenson Scholarship Fund through the Indiana University Foundation.
Respectively submitted,
Preston D. Miller, JR.