Professor Henry J. Swanker ’31
Henry J. Swanker ’31, of Schenectady, professor emeritus of chemistry, died Nov. 16, 2007, at the Ellis Center for Long Term Care. He was 96.
Swanker, who was with the College from 1942 to 1976, also served as director of Institutional Studies, assistant to the dean of faculty, director of Alumni Relations and Placement, and vice president for External Affairs. He also served as editor of alumni magazine.
A Schenectady native, he attended city schools before enrolling at Union, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1931, and a master’s degree in 1932. His interest turned to public education and he taught science and mathematics in the Schenectady schools until 1936.
Swanker helped form the Schenectady Collegiate Center that met in a General Electric building on Erie Blvd. He was on the board of directors and taught chemistry. The center was a forerunner of the Schenectady County Community College. In 1938, Swanker transferred from the center to what was then Albany State University, where he taught chemistry until 1942. He also earned a master's degree there in 1941.
In 1943, he enlisted in the Naval Reserve and was assigned to naval aviation training at Union. In 1945, after a medical discharge from the Navy, he was awarded a scholarship in advanced studies at Harvard University.
In 1946, he returned to the College’s Chemistry Department, where he remained until 1951, when he was appointed director of Alumni Relations and Placement.
In the summers, he was director of Union’s GE Science Fellows Program, which trained a select group of high school science teachers. In 1957, the federal government folded the program into the National Science Foundation.
Swanker was a member of several national alumni and placement organizations and was often a speaker or panelist for these organizations. He was treasurer and a member of the board of directors of the Center for Urban Development and Donovan-Swanker Associates, two educational consulting firms.
Along with many articles in professional magazines, he helped write a chemistry textbook and wrote a student guide to finding the right job. He received the Alumni Gold Medal and the Faculty Meritorious Service Award from the Alumni Council.
He is survived by his wife, Esther Morey Swanker, a well-known community activist in Schenectady.
Stanley R. Becker ’40
Stanley R. Becker ’40, a retired developer and investor for whom the College’s career planning center is named, died Dec. 8, 2007. He was 89.
Becker twice funded the renovation of the former Old Gymnasium. In 1981, the building was dedicated as the Stanley R. Becker Hall, home to Admissions and Financial Aid. In 2002, after he funded a conversion, the building was re-dedicated as the Stanley R. Becker Career Center.
Becker once gave the following career advice: “Select a field of employment that you will get great pleasure from, stay with it and work hard because the competition out there is keen.”
In 1978, Becker established the Stanley R. Becker Scholarship, to juniors and seniors in political science who show a promise of contributing to the public good.
He received an honorary degree from the College in 1980, and the Alumni Gold Medal in 2000. He also served as class head agent, chairman of the Annual Fund, and member of the Trustees Board of Advisors, the national committee for the Campaign for Union and the Terrace Council.
Becker, who earned his bachelor’s degree in science, joined the U.S. Department of the Interior as a junior topographer after graduation. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1942 and was commissioned as an ensign.
When he left the service in 1945, he began as a junior construction supervisor on Long Island. As a self-employed builder and real estate developer, he owned the Beckitt Construction Corp. and was owner and operator of Howard Johnson Motor Lodges in Stratford and Hartford, Conn., and at JFK Airport in New York City. In 1969, he was elected chairman of the board of Howard Johnson National Operators Council. He retired in 1984 and formed Stanley R. Becker Investments.
Among his community activities, he was on the board of directors of the East Hampton Healthcare Foundation, president of Halsey’s Marina of East Hampton, N.Y.; on the board of governors of the Saugatuck Harbor (Conn.) Yacht Club; and past president of the Rotary Club at JFK Airport.
His interests included trans-Atlantic sailing and collecting historical documents and nautical antiques.
Survivors include his wife, Betty Ann; three daughters, Hilary Oran, Joni Becker and Betsy Salinger; two stepchildren, Michael and Kim; and seven grandchildren.
Charles Stuart ’59
Charles Stuart ’59, a former aide to President Richard Nixon, a real estate developer and preservationist, died Aug. 19, 2007 at his home at Rose Hill in Port Tobacco, Md. He was 69.
Stuart grew up in Ridgewood, N.J., served in the U.S. Army after Union and in 1965 moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and finance and met his wife, Constance. He volunteered as a Republican fundraiser and became the party’s fundraising chairman for Connecticut. After Nixon’s nomination in 1968, Stuart became a campaign advance man and excelled in this work. He was later asked to join the White House staff.
In 1972 Stuart tendered his resignation to the president and, not touched by the Watergate scandal, became a vice president, and later president, of Interstate General Company. There he led the development of the city of St. Charles, Md., now home to 35,000.
Also in 1972, Stuart acquired Rose Hill, a 326-acre farm built in 1774 by Dr. Gustavus Brown, who was George Washington's physician. Listed on many historic registers, preservation of the farm became Stuart's passion. He saved the estate from deterioration and revered its history and grandeur.
In 1975, at 38, Stuart was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had risky brain surgery. During the next 31 years he had 12 brain surgeries to remove 16 tumors. After each surgery, he battled debilitating side effects with great self-discipline, always showing great courage and an undying a sense of humor.
Stuart was a student of American history, a hunter and fisherman, a world traveler, and mentor. Although he had no children, he was a devoted brother to his two younger sisters and a beloved uncle of five nieces and nephews.
In 2005, his book Never Trust a Local was published, detailing some of the incidents and activities of his years in the Nixon campaign and White House.
Just before Stuart’s death, longtime friend Joe Coons ’59, readied the novel, Bin Laden's Second Strike, for publication. Stuart established the CES Book Trust for this book, short stories and a book Stuart was dictating about his brain surgeries, called 18 and Counting. The trust will give proceeds to charity, the largest of which will be a scholarship fund to be established at Union.
Stuart was everything a Union alumnus should be: A highly ethical, caring person who cherished his friends, family and community, while using all of his faculties to expand his knowledge and make a positive and lasting difference in the world.
Obituary written by Joe Coons ’59.
Professor Joseph B. Board Jr.
Joseph B. Board Jr., the Robert Porter Patterson Professor of Government emeritus, died Oct. 12, 2007 after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 76.
Board, who taught in the Political Science Department from 1965 to 2003, was known not only for his high level of scholarship but for his warm and interactive teaching style.
“Without question, I always learn a great deal from the students I teach,” he once said. He truly enjoyed his time with students, and he remained close to a number of alumni who regarded him as a mentor.
In 1999, the College dedicated the Joseph B. Board Jr. Seminar Room in the Social Sciences building. The richly appointed room is not only a state-of-the-art facility for the kinds of exchanges Joe relished. It is a tribute to him from the many alumni who donated to make it possible.
“I’m terribly proud of the students I’ve had at Union,” Joe said at the dedication. “This … is really a reinforcement of what I’ve done as a teacher. My feelings are beyond description.”
From the late 1960s to early 1970s, Joe was instrumental in the expansion of the Political Science Department from three to 10 faculty who had what he called “a strong mix … in both research and teaching.”
Joe lived in Arlington, Vt. with his wife, Dr. Mary Squire. Born in Princeton, Ind., he received a bachelor’s degree in government, highest honors, from Indiana University; a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Honours School of Jurisprudence, Oxford University; a law degree from Indiana University School of Law; and a doctorate from Indiana University. He was also a Rhodes Scholar and a guest lecturer at universities around the globe.
In a recent Union College magazine story, Board’s former student, Devin Wenig ’88, said: “He was worldly and he was articulate and I know there are a lot of alumni that feel that Joe made a positive impact on them. Joe would often say, ‘The way you learn and grow is by witnessing other people behaving in a professional context.’”
Memorial contributions may be sent to:
The Joseph B. Board Scholarship Fund
c/o Trustco Bank, New Scotland Ave. Branch
301 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, New York 12208