Former CLU Pastor, English Professor to become Honorary Alumni
The Rev. Gerald Swanson and his wife, Dr. Jan Bowman, to be recognized
(THOUSAND OAKS, CA – May 2007) – California Lutheran University’s Alumni Association will present two Honorary Alumni Awards during the undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12. The Rev. Gerald Swanson, former CLU pastor, and his wife, Dr. Jan Bowman, a former CLU English professor, will be recognized for their contributions to the University.
A graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., and the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, Swanson was ordained in 1963. He came to Thousand Oaks in 1969 to become CLU’s first full-time pastor. College campus ministries were undergoing significant changes as conflicts abroad and a heated social climate at home set the national stage. Swanson played an important role in helping to guide CLU students through the tumultuous times, and in directing those interested on the path to ministry. Swanson served as Campus Pastor until 1986 when he became Director of the Learning Assistance Center and was named Assistant Professor of English. He retired in 1999.
As a professor of English, Bowman helped develop courses in integrated studies, global studies and women’s studies. The impetus for these areas of research stemmed, in part, from her membership on various committees, boards and task forces of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), including the Peace and Justice Education Task Force and the Christian Faith and Liberal Arts Study Group. Bowman spearheaded a networking and professional development group for women that ultimately became the annual Creative Options event. In the 1980s, she played an integral role in guiding CLU’s curriculum changes, which resulted in the incorporation of more reading and writing across all areas of study. Bowman is also a graduate of Augustana College. She received her master’s at California State University, Northridge and her doctorate at University of California, Santa Barbara.
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