Logan City proclaims May 28 as May Swenson Day

Tuesday, May 28 has been proclaimed “May Swenson Day” by Logan Mayor Randy Watts. The mayor signed a proclamation Tuesday night designating the day for honoring the famed poet who was born in Logan in 1913.

Watts said residents of Logan should honor Swenson’s legacy and a one-volume edition of her “Collected Poems” was published last month by the Library of America. A native of Logan, the poet attended both Logan High School and Utah State University. She was honored by USU last month on the occasion of her centennial birthday.

Mayor Watts signed the proclamation Tuesday night designating that date to honor what he called, “a favorite daughter of Logan.” City Council Chair Holly Daines said the designation is appropriate.

“We don’t have too many citizens from Logan who have received the national prominence that May Swenson has as a writer,” Daines said. “Certainly she had many literary gifts so we thought that was appropriate.

“Again, we don’t do that just right and left for everyone but we thought that was appropriate to recognize her on the anniversary of her 100<sup>th</sup> birthday.”

May Swenson graduated from USU in 1934 and then taught poetry at several institutions. She was a chancellor at the Academy of American Poets from 1980 to 1989 and received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1987. Swenson died on December 4, 1989 in Delaware.

<a href=”http://english.usu.edu/htm/stay-connected/news/articleID=21220/print=true” target=”_blank”>Click here</a> to read the official proclamation signed by Logan Mayor Randy Watts.

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