Gale Alden Swanson American scientist, organization theorist, professor of accounting Date of Birth: 12.01.1939 Country: USA

Biography of Gale Olden Swanson

Gale Olden Swanson was an American scientist, specializing in the theory of organization and a professor of accounting. He is best known for his accounting theories, which are based on the general theory of living systems by James Grier Miller. Swanson was born in Lemmon, South Dakota. He earned his bachelor's degree with honors from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee in 1956. In 1971, he obtained his master's degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and in 1982, he earned his doctorate from Georgia State University. It was in his dissertation that Swanson first formulated the basis of the general theory of accounting, largely built upon Miller's theory of living systems.

In 1982, Swanson became a professor at Tennessee Technological University, where he taught accounting in the School of Accounting and Business Law. Additionally, Swanson served on the editorial boards of several prestigious publications, including 'Systems Research and Behavioral Science', 'Systems-Journal of Transdisciplinary Systems Science', 'Journal for Information Systems and Systems Approach', and 'International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics'. For a period of time in 1997, Swanson held the position of president of the International Society for the Systems Sciences. Furthermore, he founded the Tennessee Society of Accounting Educators and served on the board of the educational fund of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Throughout his career, Swanson received numerous awards for his scientific and educational contributions. From 1989 to 1990, he was a member of the research fund of the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation. In 1991, Gale Olden Swanson received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Accounting.

Until his death, Swanson remained actively engaged in teaching. He left Tennessee Technological University in early June 2009, and passed away on July 3, 2009, in Cleveland. He was 70 years old at the time of his death.