Volunteer Spotlight: Audrey "Bunny" Howard Swanson '43

Audrey Howard Swanson, known as "Bunny" since her father coined the nickname for her when she wore a romper featuring a bunny with big floppy ears, was bubbling with enthusiasm when I spoke with her just days after returning from her 65th Reunion at Grinnell. Bunny has attended many Grinnell reunions, but for this special occasion, she arrived early to continue planning and to enjoy time on campus. She was sad that four classmates had to cancel in the final week, but she was still pleased that 13 were in attendance. "Not bad for 87-year-olds!" she says.
The alumni relations staff enthusiastically recommended Bunny to be our July honoree. They told me she had worked tirelessly to plan this reunion and gave me a heads-up that she would be receiving a special citation from her classmates. I'm sure she would not have mentioned it, but when I asked her, she read from the "lovely" plaque she received: "Class Agent Extraordinaire: In recognition of her remarkable service holding our class together."
Bunny became actively involved with the College at the time of her 50th Reunion; her class subsequently was without a class agent for two years, so Bunny stepped into the void. She says, "I have a great love for Grinnell, and so I link almost daily with the College in some way. I am either putting in time on the classletter, writing classmates for news, calling them, sending e-mails to them, sympathy cards, and get-well notes. I enjoy doing all of it."
Bunny grew up on a farm near Mankato, Minn.; an older sister attended one of the many liberal arts colleges in the Twin Cities, but she had such an active social life that she didn't make her grades. Bunny's mother, "a doer," decided to seek advice from the head of the Social Service Program at the University of Minnesota on colleges with strong social work departments. Bunny says, "He took one look at me and recommended Grinnell, a college we had never considered."
It was a great fit. "It was an egalitarian place: cars were not allowed, you couldn't buy a better room if you had more money, and they did a good job of keeping us happy in a cornfield with no place to go," Bunny remembers.
Following graduation, Bunny worked for RCA in Philadelphia for a year, followed by two years as a stewardess. She describes herself as adventuresome, and it's clear she has always embraced life and met challenges head-on.
Her husband was a nationally influential dentist who was active in the Navy Dental Reserves. He was to be appointed admiral of the reserve when he was killed in a car accident at age 49. As a young widow with four children, Bunny's life changed drastically.
Reconnecting with old friends who proved to be loyal provided comfort and support for Bunny. She says she became more independent, grew even closer to her family and Grinnell friends, traveled the world, and spent time volunteering She was president of her 60-member League of Women Voters chapter and worked as a hospital volunteer. "My career always seemed to be the enjoyment of helping others," Bunny says. "I've had a rich, wonderful life."
When I asked her why she continues to be such a dedicated volunteer, her answer was thoughtful. "I had four years of learning from great professors and social contacts that produced lifelong friends. I was guided into maturity in a place that I would hold dear forever."
Bunny is also very interested in the Pioneer Fund. She says, "I'm sure I could not have graduated from Grinnell if I had not had financial help in the form of a scholarship, and particularly the work study program. I say to my classmates, 'Did you have a job with the College when you were at Grinnell?' If the answer is yes - and particularly if they are not giving now - they know what they should do! Our class came out of 12 years of Depression, but from then on almost everyone enjoyed successful careers in a booming economy for many years. So - shouldn't we all give something back and help those who now need us?"
Bunny is a great volunteer, delightful to get to know, and a real tribute to a Grinnell life richly lived.