Duane Swanson Sr. was one of the pioneers of FGCU's quick ascent into the Division I ranks ... He led the charge in building both the baseball and softball complexes, not only donating generously, but also getting many others to follow in his footsteps ... He was also a consistent donor to the scholarship fund and in 2007 he once again led the charge in building the Outdoor Sports Complex which is home to 11 of 15 FGCU programs ... Mr. Swanson passed away in March 2011 ... His impact on FGCU cannot be overstated as his support and love for the program began during the very first years of the department’s existence and before the move to NCAA Division I status was even a dream ... For baseball in particular, his support led to the very existence of Swanson Stadium which became the fourth stadium to bear his name thanks to his philanthropic support and desire to support student-athletes ... That led to his involvement in the creation of the Outdoor Sports Complex and the FGCU softball complex ... In all, those three infrastructure projects have enabled scores of FGCU student-athletes to compete at the highest levels ...His involvement extended past financial support – he cared for the student-athletes, coaches, and administrators on a personal level that ingrained him into the very fabric of FGCU Athletics ... Growing up on a dairy farm, Mr. Swanson graduated high school as valedictorian before earning a degree in accounting at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois ...He earned a master’s degree from Indiana University in business administration, began working as an accountant and then purchased Raymond Building Supply in Fort Myers ...Besides his philanthropic work with FGCU and local athletics, he also generously supported many charities in Southwest Florida while serving on several as a board member ... His example of helping others and giving back to the community were perfect embodiments of the mission of FGCU ...Upon his passing, he became the only person in FGCU history to be honored by having his funeral services held in Alico Arena. He was previously honored as one of the first three FGCU Athletics Honorary Letterwinners in 2011.

Duane Swanson, Jr. (son of Duane Swanson, Sr.)
"My father dedicated most of his adult life to helping young student-athletes. The FGCU athletic community instills values in every student athlete that will contribute to their future success. My father would have been honored to be recognized as someone that has helped contribute to the success of every student-athlete at FGCU. On behalf of the entire Swanson family, we thank you."