North Park honors alumni from the academy, university, and seminary.
ARMOUR SWANSON C’52
Distinguished Alumni Award
Armour Swanson C’52, 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, has been a success in life by many measures, but especially the one that counts most: his faith. A longtime supporter of North Park and former member of the Board of Trustees, Swanson has inspired generations of North Parkers with his devotion to Christ.
“Armour Swanson is not only a loyal and devoted supporter of North Park, but he is also one of the finest human beings I have been privileged to know,” said longtime friend and fellow North Parker Dr. G. Timothy Johnson C’56 S’63. “He combines intelligence and humility in a way that has been very helpful to North Park in so many ways.”
Swanson continued his education at Northwestern University, then went on to a successful career in business, eventually ending up as president and CEO of Zenith Splintered Products. He and his beloved late wife, Bev, eventually retired to their home in Hartland, Wisconsin, where they stayed active in their church and doing volunteer activities. Swanson was accompanied at the induction by the two sons and daughter he shares with Bev.
DEBBIE BLUE S’96
North Park Theological Seminary Distinguished Alumni Award
Debbie Blue S’96 received the North Park Theological Seminary Distinguished Alumni Award at the Covenant Midwinter Conference, held in Jacksonville, Florida, in January. Alumna and seminary lecturer since 2000, Blue, who was born and raised in Chicago, is the mother of three adult children and seven grandchildren.
She left a career in bioengineering in 1993 to answer God’s call to ministry. “Debbie is a humble servant-leader who continues to serve others in all she does and, in every instance, shines a positive, encouraging light on North Park,” said Dennis Edwards, seminary dean and vice president for church relations.
DAVID CARLSON A’57 C’59
Distinguished Academy Alumni Award
When it was time for David Carlson A’57 to attend high school, his parents chose the best option in the neighborhood: North Park Academy. It turned out to be the right call, with Carlson going on to study at Northwestern University and enjoying a long, successful career in manufacturing and financial services.
“I would not be who I am today without North Park,” Carlson said. “That foundation has stayed and grown with me, it’s been the foundation of who I am. North Park’s faculty didn’t just teach, they cared.”
Carlson’s career culminated in senior vice president roles at both Paine Webber and UBS. He and his wife Brenda have been extremely generous in giving and volunteer work with many charities, including North Park, where they have endowed the David and Brenda Carlson Scholarships.
KAREN KELLY C’12
Distinguished Young Alumni Award
Karen Kelly C’12 has had more international adventures than people decades her senior. The daughter of missionaries, Janice C’72 and Rev. Tomas E, Kelly C’72, S’78, she grew up in Mexico City and is currently director of partnerships for Laboratoria, a Latin American organization that teaches students life skills such as computer coding.
After graduation, the double major in French and global studies received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. As part of her grant, Kelly taught secondary school in Andorra. She followed that with service-based positions in Latin America and the Caribbean, where she worked with high school students and their families. Amidst her travels, Kelly also found time to serve her alma mater, sharing her unique perspectives, insights, and expertise as a member of North Park’s College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board.
At the ceremony, Director of Alumni Engagement Jamie Kratowicz C’11 introduced a video of Kelly, who was in Peru, by recalling their first meeting as North Park students. “Even with her worldly insight compared to my very sheltered life up to that point, Karen was warm, gracious, welcoming, and kind,” she said.