Willis Swartz Graduate Student Award

The Willis Swartz Graduate Student Award was established to honor the work of Dr. Willis Swartz. Dr. Swartz, a native of Burlington, Iowa, came to SIU in 1930 to chair the Department of Government. In 1943 he became the first Chairman of the Graduate Council and in 1950 he was named the first Dean of the Graduate School. In addition, in 1947 Dr. Swartz was chosen to direct the foreign student programs at SIU. He served as the Dean of International Students from 1963-64. He did all he could to help make international students’ lives easier.
Sadly, Dr. Swartz passed away in 1965 after a heart attack. He had served SIU with distinction for 35 years and he touched hundreds, if not thousands, of young lives.

• Scholarship for graduate students.