Harold B. Swanson was born on March 2, 1917 in Maple Lake, Minnesota. H earned his B.A. in journalism in 1939 and his M.S. in agricultural economics in 1949 from the University of Minnesota. In 1965, he earned his Ph.D. in adult education from the University of Wisconsin. In 1939, Dr. Swanson joined the staff of the agricultural extension service at the University of Minnesota as editor of the Agricultural Bulletin . In 1942, he became a member of the faculty at the rank of instructor. After three years in the U.S. Army during World War II, Dr. Swanson returned to the University of Minnesota as an instructor and information specialist. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1948, associate professor in 1950 and professor in 1960. Also in 1948, Dr. Swanson became the program director of communications for the agricultural extension service and the head of the department of information and agricultural journalism. He resigned his post as head in 1974 and retired from the University of Minnesota as professor emeritus in 1984. Since his retirement, Dr. Swanson has been the executive secretary of the North Central Chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association.
From the guide to the Harold B. Swanson papers, 1950s, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])
