SUVERKRUP, Henry

SUVERKRUP, Henry. (Dubuque, IA, July 6, 1926--Cottonwood, AZ, Aug. 26, 2018). The son of Henry and Rose Suverkrup, Henry graduated from the UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE with a BS degree in educational administration. He received his Masters in Administration at NAU, plus 33 post graduate doctoral hours at ASU. He served in the Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga during WORLD WAR II and completed Officer Candidate School for the U.S. Marines. He married Frieda in 1953 and they moved to Yuma, AZ where he became the superintendent of schools for the Crane School District from 1956-1980.

Suverkrup built the Crane School District from its original one school up to three schools. He received the honor of one of the schools being named the HL Suverkrup School. He then became the director of operations, Phoenix, AZ for the Greater Phoenix Curriculum and Instructional Developmental Services. He was elected Superintendent of Schools, County of Yuma, Arizona from 1982 - 1985. They left their home of 27 years in Yuma to accept the position of Superintendent of Schools in Wickenburg, AZ from 1985 - 1990.

After retirement, Henry did Certified Coaching for the Wallace Foundation/Arizona State Department of Education; supervised administrative interns for NAU; became a licensed Methodist minister; received the Domestic Violence and Addiction and Reality Therapy-Certified Counselor Trainer certifications; and taught graduate classes in management, MBA, and public policy for Webster University, University of Dubuque and Northern Arizona University. Henry was highly respected as a professor and facilitator for his method of open discussion, encouraging students to engage and learn from each other, and encouraging them to find common ground and respect even though they had diverse opinions. Even up until the age of 92, he held a Bible study twice a week. He rode his bicycle across his home state of Iowa, twice, as part of RAGBRAI; the 479 mile race across Iowa.

Some of his other leadership positions included two terms on the Wickenburg Governing Board, membership on the Arizona State Personnel Commission, member of the Yuma County Educators Hall of Fame and board member and president of the Wickenburg Wellife Foundation. He served as president of the Wickenburg Rotary Club, Arizona School Superintendents, Arizona County School Superintendents, Yuma Fine Art Association and board of directors of the Yuma Chamber of Commerce.

He was listed in Who's Who Among Educational Administrators.

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