March 4, 1919
November
17, 2002
Robert Wayne Swenson died suddenly November 17th, 2002.
He was born March 4, 1919 in Hendricks, Minnesota. His parents were Albert L. Swenson and Petrine Johnson Swenson. They moved to Ivanhoe, Minnesota where Bob grew up. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BSL in 1940. He then attended law school at the University of Minn. and graduated with a J.D., Order of the Coif and was Associate Editor of the Law Review.
He was employed by the legal department of Columbia Broadcasting System in New York City and later was associated with the law firm Davis Polk. In 1945 he began his teaching career at the Drake University Law School. In 1946 he married Margaret (Peggy) Coffey and they lived in Des Moines, Iowa for seven years. All three of their children were born there.
In 1953 he joined the faculty of the College of Law at the University of Utah where he became the James I. Farr Professor. He was a visiting professor at the Hastings College of Law in 1979 and 1989 and taught at various distinguished law schools, including Stanford, NYU, University of Texas and University of Iowa. He has been Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Utah since 1995. He is the author of History of Public Land Law Development.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, his sister Darrel Volker of Vista CA and his three children: Eric Swenson and his wife Mary Ann of Salt Lake City; Jon Swenson and his wife Carole Grossman of Davis CA; Jennifer Swenson and her husband Timothy French of Salt Lake City. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Sarah Grossman-Swenson of San Francisco, CA and Joshua Grossman-Swenson of Davis, CA.
There will be a celebration of his life on Monday, November 25 at the Marriott University Park Hotel from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Donations may be made to the Robert W. Swenson Natural Resources Fellowship at the S. J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah. Funeral Directors: Evans & Early Mortuary, A Dignity Memorial Provider.