Eric Svendsen ’66

Eric Svendsen died January 28, 2006, at his home in Alexandria, VA.  Following graduation from Carleton, Eric got a Master’s Degree in Business at Columbia University.   He married Nancy Carter Svendsen, Carleton ‘65, in 1968.  He and Nancy went to Iran in the Peace Corps here Eric learned he wanted to work in the diplomatic service.  He served in the Foreign Service for 29 years overseas and at the State Department in Washington.  According to his sister, Eleanor Stein, Carleton ’62, many of Eric’s assignments were in western Africa (Liberia, Ghana, and Senegal) plus later in Austria and Bulgaria.  His work was generally in as an Economic Officer of the embassy, and he was promoted to charge d’affaires.  Eric also served with the US mission to the United Nations, visiting Palestine and Jordan with the UN High Commission for Refugees.  In addition, he was elected to chair the Open Forum of the State Department in 1982, an ongoing series of lectures and seminars encouraging discussion of a wide range of points of view on foreign policy.  He retired in 1997.

In his retirement, Eric worked as a tax preparer and served as a chief election officer for Fairfax County, VA.  He did genealogical research at the Library of Congress and did extended travel within the US and abroad, especially Scandinavia.

Nancy died shortly after Eric.  They are survived by two children and two grandchildren.