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In Memoriam
SWEETNAM SPARKED STUDENTS’ PASSIONS
FOR ELECTRONICS AND TECHNOLOGY
Kenneth Sweetnam was a professor emeritus of technology at California State University, Los Angeles. He loved electronics, technology and teaching, which he did all of his life. Sweetnam served the university for 39 years. On Dec. 17, 2015, at the age of 90, he passed away.
Sweetnam began his electronics career in the U.S. Navy. He worked on ship radio and sonar systems during World War II and the Korean conflict. Afterward, Sweetnam earned an A.A. from Glendale College, a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an M.A. from Cal State LA, and an Ed.D. from
the University of Southern California.
He initially connected his passions for electronics and education by teaching at Belmont High School. At Cal State LA, he taught 39 years in the Industrial Studies Department (now the Department of Technology) and served as department chair for three years.
Sweetnam began teaching students to operate Cal State LA campus TV studio equipment in the 1950s. Over the ensuing decades, many of those students landed careers in the entertainment industry.
After Sweetnam retired, he taught for another 10 years, whenever faculty was on sabbatical. He was also a University of Southern California adjunct professor, a Glendale College trustee for 20 years and a Phi Delta Kappa member.
Outside the classroom, Sweetnam owned KS Enterprises. He sold electronic kits students could use to build radios, so they could see how electricity flowed through circuit boards.
Shortly after Sweetnam’s memorial service, Betty, his wife of 66 years, passed away. Sweetnam is survived by his sons, Dale and Donald; his daughter, Diane Glenn (Sweetnam); seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Kenneth Sweetnam taught industrial studies and technology courses for 39 years at Cal State LA.
“He could calmly explain things. He was a teacher. It was what he wanted to do and what he did all his life.”
– Dale Sweetnam,
Kenneth Sweetnam’s Son
FROM MECHANICAL ENGINEER TO MUSICIAN
Graduating with his bachelor’s degree from the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology at California State University, Los Angeles, 12 years ago, Jose Cano envisioned a long career as a mechanical engineer. But, after a few years in the industry, he realized a desire to march to the beat of his own drum.
A lifelong percussionist, Cano began playing with a friend’s Afro-Mexican urban folk band, Las Cafeteras, as he pursued various freelance ventures. In 2013, he joined the band full time.
“We’ve been to 30-plus states and Canada, playing a spin on Mexican folk music,” says Cano. “Music is my passion now, but I’m still an engineer at heart, and I’m thankful for the time I spent at Cal State LA. They were some of the best years of my life.”
Though he left his last full-time engineering job nine years ago, Cano says he still frequently uses the skills he learned at the college.
“There’s a scientific and technical side behind what we do as musicians, from audio capture to transporting our instruments,” he explains. “And, thanks to my time at Cal State LA, I can also think analytically and problem-solve – critical skills for managing the band’s finances and contracts. There are so many skills in engineering you can apply to the business world and other professions. Cal State LA taught me how to solve problems, which will always be an asset.”
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