David E. Sweet, academic, was the founding president of innovative Metropolitan State University

Metropolitan State University

Metropolitan State University is a four-year public university located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, United States. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.-History:...

 and later president of Rhode Island College

Rhode Island College

Rhode Island College is a nationally ranked, coeducational, state-supported comprehensive college founded in 1854, located in Providence, Rhode Island, USA...

, where he spearheaded the Leadership Rhode Island program.

Early life and education

David Emery Sweet was born July 9, 1933, in Holyoke, Massachusetts

Holyoke, Massachusetts

Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...

, the son of Adrian John Sweet and Elsie King (Jocelyn) Sweet . He received his BA

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 degree from Drury College in 1955, and his MA

Master of Arts (postgraduate)

A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

(1958 ) and his PhD

PHD

PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

 (1968) from Duke University

Duke University

Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...

, where he was an instructor in political science and faculty adviser of the Christian Science

Christian Science

Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...

 Organization on campus.

Career

Sweet was an instructor at Ohio University

Ohio University

Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...

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

Illinois State University

Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...

, 1960-1969. From 1969-1971 he served as vice chancellor of the Minnesota State College System

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System comprises 31 colleges and universities, including 24 two-year colleges and seven state universities...

.

In 1971 he was chosen to become the founding president of Metropolitan State College, an innovative non-traditional institution in St. Paul, Minnesota, which evolved into Metropolitan State University

Metropolitan State University

Metropolitan State University is a four-year public university located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, United States. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.-History:...

.

In 1977, Dr. Sweet left Metro State to become president of Rhode Island College

Rhode Island College

Rhode Island College is a nationally ranked, coeducational, state-supported comprehensive college founded in 1854, located in Providence, Rhode Island, USA...

, which was then basically a teachers college. hi

Death

David E. Sweet, a Christian Scientist, died on September 16, 1984, in a Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

 hospital after suffering an apparent diabetic seizure and cardiac arrest. He had been sick for the previous week or so but had refused medical treatment because of his religious beliefs. He was buried with his parents, Elsie King (Jocelyn) Sweet, (1897-1982) and Adrian J Sweet (1903–1963) in Spring Grove Cemetery, Florence

Florence, Massachusetts

Florence is a village in the northwestern portion of the city of Northampton, near Westhampton and Williamsburg in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.-The naming of Florence, Massachusetts:The name "Florence" was suggested by neurologist Dr...

, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

Hampshire County, Massachusetts

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 152,251 people, 55,991 households, and 33,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 288 people per square mile . There were 58,644 housing units at an average density of 111 per square mile...

.

Memorials

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.

External links