Dr. John J. Swalec
Administrator/Supporter/Coach
Waubonsee president for 20 years
Served on NJCAA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee
Chairman of Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference for 12 years
Coached Joliet Junior College to NJCAA Wrestling National Championship
Athletics and success in general are many times reflected in numbers and statistics. The score sheet of Waubonsee’s history states that Dr. John J. Swalec was the college’s third president, directing the school for 20 years. Personable and energetic, he provided strong, effective leadership during a period of exceptional growth and development of the college. And he always made sure that athletics was an integral piece of the puzzle.
“The college flourished in all respects during John’s tenure,” declared Waubonsee Board Chair Richard “Shorty” Dickson in 2001. The accomplishments under his watch are simply too numerous to mention. However, Swalec’s efforts to expand accessibility and educational offerings across Illinois through various distance learning opportunities were unparalleled. During his two decades in charge, Waubonsee grew by more than 50 percent, and he was labeled a “pacesetter” by the American Association of Community Colleges for establishing landmark programs such as the Athletic Department’s Student-Athletes Taking Academic Responsibility (S.T.A.R.) Program.
During his term as president, Swalec was an active participant in nearly 40 community organizations, committees and taskforces, both locally and nationally. Included among them was a term on the NJCAA’s Board of Directors, service on the NJCAA’s Executive Committee, eight years on the State of Illinois Athletic Board, and 12 years as the Chairman of the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference.
Swalec holds a bachelor’s degree in Education, a master’s degree in Community College Administration and a doctoral degree in Educational Administration from Illinois State University (ISU). He has received both the Distinguished Service Award and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from ISU and was inducted into the ISU College of Education Alumni Hall of Fame in 1997.
Before he began his administrative career, Swalec was a standout wrestler at ISU. He later coached Joliet Junior College to an NJCAA Wrestling National Championship in 1964. Swalec has been inducted into ISU’s Wrestling Hall of Fame, the NJCAA National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Hall of Fame, and the NJCAA Region IV Hall of Fame. These days Swalec can often be found with a fishing pole or gold club in hand near Canton, Illinois, where he and wife Marge reside.