 |
|
(1917 - 1980) |
| Inducted: |
1983 |
A native of St. Louis, Bud Schwenk graduated from Beaumont High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society, and a tremendous student athlete. His athletic skills were also on display when he attended Washington University, where he broke several national football records in 1941.
As an All-American, he moved into professional football with the Chicago Cardinals before being called to serve his country during World War II, where he held the rank of Captain in the United States Navy. Upon returning from the service, he rejoined the professional ranks with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Colts.
Schwenk’s JA career began in 1950, where he served 30 years as the chief operating officer of Junior Achievement of Mississippi Valley. His drive and organizational abilities took the program from its very beginning to become one of the largest JA areas in the United States. He was a pioneer in programming and served on numerous national JA committees. Schwenk worked tirelessly to achieve increased professionalism within the ranks of the JA staff both locally and nationally. He served as chairman of several staff conferences, chaired the Metropolitan Area Group and its Strategy Committee, and co-authored the original Metro Operations Manual. In 1968 be was the recipient of the Charles R. Hook Award for outstanding performance as a field staff professional.
Bud’s leadership abilities extended into the community. He served on the board of directors of the St. Louis Better Business Bureau and was a founder and a member of the board of the Spanish Lake Bank & Trust Company. His interest in athletics spanned his lifetime as he served as chairman of the Missouri State Athletic Commission from 1971 to 1975. He received the Distinguished American Award from the St. Louis Chapter of the National Football Hall of Fame.
|
