David Emery Sweet (1933–1984) was an American academic and the founding president of

Metropolitan State University Metropolitan State University (Metro State) is a public university in the Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

and later president of

Rhode Island College Rhode Island College (RIC) is a public college in Rhode Island, United States, with much of the land in Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, and other parts in North Providence, Rhode Island, North Providence. The college was established in 18 ...

, where he spearheaded the Leadership Rhode Island program and presided over the college's evolution from a normal college into a multipurpose college.Dr. David E. Sweet, 51, Dies; Head of Rhode Island College - New York Times
/ref>

Early life and education

David Emery Sweet was born on July 9, 1933, in

Holyoke, Massachusetts Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,247. Loca ...

, the son of Adrian John Sweet and Elsie King (''

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

:'' Jocelyn) Sweet. His family moved to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

in his youth, and he graduated from Central High School in 1951. He received his BA degree from

Drury College Drury University, formerly Drury College and originally Springfield College, is a private university in Springfield, Missouri, United States. The university's mission statement describes itself as "church-related". It enrolls about 1,590 undergr ...

in 1955, graduating ''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

''; and his MA (1958) and his

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

(1968) from

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

, where he was an instructor in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

and faculty adviser of the

Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes in ...

Organization on campus.

Career

Sweet was an instructor at

Ohio University Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...

for the year 1959-1960 and then served as an associate professor of political science at

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teachin ...

, 1960–1969. From 1969 to 1971 he served as vice chancellor of the Minnesota State College System.''Who Was Who In America, Vol. IX, 1985-1989.'' Willmette, Illinois: Marquis Who's Who, Macmillan Directory Division, 1989, p. 349 In 1971, he was chosen to become the founding president of Metropolitan State College, an innovative non-traditional institution in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

, which evolved into

. In 1974, a national panel on higher education in the United States selected Sweet as one of the fifty most effective university and college presidents in the country.Rhode Island College: Meeting the State’s Needs Through Time
Rhode Island College. In 1977, Dr. Sweet left Metro State to become president of

, at the time a college for teachers. During its tenure there, he spearheaded the Leadership Rhode Island program and presided over the college's evolution into a multipurpose college granting bachelors as well as master's degrees in many fields. While president, he continued to teach political science, and enrollment in the school grew by almost fifteen percent. Sweet was published in the fields of political science and education extensively, and received many grants and fellowships for his work.

Personal life

David E. Sweet married Arleene Pachl on June 4, 1954. They had two children. He was a Christian Scientist. Sweet was active in his community in Rhode Island, and sat on numerous boards and committees.

Death

Sweet died on September 16, 1984, in a

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

hospital after suffering an apparent diabetic seizure and cardiac arrest, but apparently declining medical treatment there. He was buried with his parents, Elsie and Adrian Sweet, in Spring Grove Cemetery,

Florence, Massachusetts Florence is a village in the northwestern portion of the city of Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. During the 19th century, Florence was a thriving manufacturing village shaped by progressive ideas on religion, aboliti ...

. His wife Arleene died in 2017.

Legacy

David E. Sweet has been memorialized in the following ways: * Leadership Rhode Island established the annual David E. Sweet Award. * Rhode Island College's David E. Sweet Center for Public Policy is named for him. * Rhode Island College's dormitory Sweet Hall was named for him.http://www.ric.edu/Residential-Life/halls_sweet.php Sweet Hall dormitory

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweet, David E. 1933 births 1984 deaths Drury University alumni Duke University alumni Duke University faculty Illinois State University faculty Ohio University faculty Rhode Island College presidents American Christian Scientists Heads of universities and colleges in the United States People from Holyoke, Massachusetts Educators from Providence, Rhode Island 20th-century American political scientists