August G. Swanson, M.D. Endowed Scholarship
Please address your letter to:
Mrs. Ellyn Swanson
In creating this endowment, Mrs. Ellyn Swanson took advantage of the Faculty-Staff-Retiree Campaign for Students, which matched her donation. In providing scholarship assistance to medical students, Mrs. Swanson also wishes to honor her late husband, August G. Swanson, M.D. Res. ’58, one of the founders of the WWAMI program.
August “Gus” Swanson, M.D., was a pediatric neurologist and a great supporter of UW Medicine. An originator of the WWAMI program, which extends the School’s educational reach into the five-state region of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, Dr. Swanson also served as an associate dean and as acting dean of the School of Medicine.
In 1971, the Swansons moved to Washington, D.C., where Dr. Swanson served as the director of academic affairs for the Association of American Medical Colleges. Later, he served as the organization’s vice president.
The family retained its ties with the Pacific Northwest, particularly with Swanson’s colleagues, who had greatly appreciated his abilities as a collaborator and innovator. When Dr. Swanson retired, the family returned to the region.
Mrs. Ellyn W. Swanson and several of the Swansons’ six children still live in the Northwest, and Mrs. Swanson serves as a member of the Friends of the UW School of Medicine’s advisory board.
