2012, September - prepared by Dean Porter
Passing of Robert Swan
CCDA regrets to announce that Dr. Robert (Bob) Swan, died on August 24, 2012. Bob
served as CCDA President in 1981-1982 and his contribution to the field of career
development was recognized by CCDA with the naming of CCDA's Robert Swan Lifetime
Achievement in Career Development Award, which continues to honor leaders in our field.
As Chair of the Career Development program at CSU Long Beach, Bob educated and
mentored many career counselors, several of whom became leaders of CCDA. All were
welcomed to services held on September 29 in Claremont, California. A special thanks to
Dean Porter, Judi Grutter, and Mark Pope, who have prepared the following tribute:
Robert J. Swan, Ph.D., 1923 - 2012
A TRIBUTE
The Career Development profession in California lost one of its early leaders when Bob
Swan passed away on August 23, 2012.
Bob began his career as a high school counselor, then Director of Pupil Personnel and
Special Education in St. Paul Minnesota, after earning a master's degree in Public
Administration and a doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota.
In 1962 he came to California to be Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at University
of California (USC), but after a couple of years, he moved to California State University Long
Beach (CSULB) and began his career as Professor of Educational Psychology in the School of
Education. Over more than a 25-year span, Dr. Swan concurrently served as Director of
Career Guidance Programs and Director of the Educational Psychology Clinic, developing a
career major within the M.S. in Counseling Program, a Career Guidance Specialist Graduate
Certificate Program, and a Career Guidance Technician Undergraduate Certificate Program
through Extended Education.
Bob taught seven courses in the master's in counseling program, including four career
development courses. His research and publications centered around the life/career
planning process. In 1979 he stated that his chief teaching objective was to give graduate
students in the career counseling program the "awareness, knowledge and skills necessary
to do life/career planning with individuals and groups ranging from ages 16 - 66."
Traditionally, career guidance counselors had worked with high school and college
populations, but Bob set his sights on including adult career development, as well. In
addition to career development at the graduate level, Bob was also interested in
paraprofessionals and he developed courses, wrote journal articles and developed
organizations for Career Guidance Technicians.
As an Educational Psychologist and Director of the Educational Psychology Clinic at CSULB,
Dr. Swan was interested in learning disabilities. Even in his retirement he was visiting
schools to gather data for research he hoped to publish on the effect that artificial light has
on children with reading problems.
Dr. Swan expected his graduate students to become involved in their professional
association and he set an example by serving as President of the California Career
Development Association (CCDA) in 1981-1982. In 1990 Bob convened a Task Force to
explore options for recognizing career counselors, resulting in the formation of the California
Registry for Professional Counselors and Paraprofessionals in 1991. Dr. Swan served as the
first volunteer Executive Director. The Registry became the precursor to the movement to
license counselors in California. After an eight-year battle, the California Coalition for
Counselor Licensure achieved the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) at the end
of 2009. The California Registry had served its purpose and was closed at the end of 2010.
This year the first LPCCs are becoming licensed. Bob Swan's vision in establishing the
Registry began the long road to counselor licensure in California. Licensure was achieved in
Bob's lifetime and he continued to be interested, expressing interest in an update as
recently as last month.
Bob Swan's contribution to the field of career development was recognized by CCDA in 1995
with the naming of the Robert Swan LIfetime Achievement in Career Development Award,
which continues to honor leaders in our field.
Bob Swan's wife, Barbara, now deceased, was well known to Bob's graduate students, since
each semester she and Bob hosted a Saturday morning brunch in their home. The graduate
students appreciated the Swans' hospitality, which provided an informal atmosphere, where
they could get to know each other and their professor. Barbara and Bob had three sons and
a daughter, who are spread around the country.
My relationship with Dr. Swan began in 1979, when I began graduate work as his student,
but over the years, that student/professor relationship became a friendship, and I began to
be comfortable calling him "Bob." In his gentle, subtle way, Bob guided my career by
encouraging me to "put a toe in the water" and then once I was up to my neck, I had to
swim like crazy! He suggested that I start with the career development certificate, but once
I had completed 18 graduate units, I saw that I needed the master's degree, which took me
four years to complete! Then Bob invited me to sit on the task force that created the
Registry and be secretary, so I had to learn all the details. That led to service on the first
Registry Board and Bob asked me to assist him as Executive Director. When he retired, I
was trained to take on his job! It was in my role as Executive Director of the Registry, that I
saw the need for counselor licensure in California. Twelve years later the first counselors are
being licensed and I am now the Executive Director of the California Association for Licensed
Professional Clinical Counselors. I have not done any career counseling for 15 years, but I
have been able to make a contribution in another way, one that I never would have
dreamed about. Seeing his students' potential and helping them achieve their goals was Bob
Swan's gift. Hundreds of students and colleagues received this gift over his long career. We
owe a lot to our mentor and we will miss his support and enthusiasm.
Dean Porter, M.S., NCC, NCCC
CCDA President, 1991-1992
Robert Swan Lifetime Achievement in Career Development Award recipient 2010
***
I first met Bob on a job interview in 1974! I was looking for a career counseling internship
during the last year of my graduate program at Cal State L.A. One of my professors said “go
see Bob” at Long Beach State. I did, and I became a devoted follower – like almost all who
knew him. He didn’t hire me – he wasn’t totally into career development yet in his own
teaching – but he introduced me to the person who did. That was at L.A. County Schools,
where I first got to sink my teeth into career assessment. The rest is history . . . In 1979
Bob hired me as an instructor in the career counseling program at CSULB, which led to my
faculty position at Cal State Northridge and everything that followed. In those early days,
when I didn’t think I knew “enough,” Bob encouraged me to “put my toe in the water” just
as he did Dean and countless others in our profession. I have always considered myself one
of Bob’s “students”, even though my degree is from a rival Cal State campus. Bob did much
more than just open doors for his students. He believed in us and supported us when we
weren’t sure we believed in ourselves. And most of all, he believed in career counseling as a
profession and in our professional association. The best way we can honor his life is to keep
CCDA strong and on the forefront of career development, both statewide and nationally.
Judith Grutter, M.S., MCC
CCDA President 1988-1989
Robert Swan Lifetime Achievement in Career Development Award recipient 2004
***
When I was CCDA President, we established the Robert Swan LIfetime Achievement in
Career Development Award. It was modeled after the National Career Development
Association’s Eminent Career Award, the highest award given in the field of career
counseling and career development. And it was only proper that, here in California, it be
named for Dr. Swan. In California, he was our fearless leader whose contributions had
meant so much to so many of us. He was our wise guru who guided us as we learned our
way as new career counseling professionals in California. He touched so many of our lives
both personally and professionally and we owe our existence and success to him. This
award is a tribute to his entire professional life and for that we honor him. We miss him
greatly.
Mark Pope, Ed.D., MCC
CCDA President 1994-1995
NCDA President 1998-1999
ACA President 2003-2004
The Career Development Quarterly Editor 2004-2008
Robert Swan Lifetime Achievement in Career Development Award recipient 2001
***
Memorial gifts may be sent to a scholarship fund, established by the Swans to provide
Native American Indian adults the opportunity to complete a degree at a tribal community
college:
The Barbara and Robert Swan Scholarship Fund
c/o Arizona Community Foundation
2201 E. Camelback Road, Suite 202
Phoenix, AZ 85016