Donald W. Johnson, ’53 DVM, ’63 PhD, Green Valley, Ariz., died April 6 at 91. When the seventh graduating class of the CVM (1957) was the first class to receive ambulatory training in Maple Plain, Johnson was placed in charge of the Maple Plain ambulatory service. The venture proved very successful and provided good training for students interested in large animal practice.

Albert C. Batchelder, ’53 DVM, Faribault, Minn. died February 4 at 91. Batchelder served in the United States Navy and Army. He worked at the Faribault Veterinary Clinic, where he was a founding partner, and the Faribault Animal Center as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. He is survived by his wife, Jan; 5 children; 9 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandchild.

Russell C. Smith, ’55 DVM, Portage, Wisc., died February 24 at 90. He practiced mixed animal medicine for more than 40 years. He is preceded in death by his wife, Jeanette. He is survived by 4 children, 12 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.

René A. Carlson, ’76 BS, ’78 DVM, Chetek, Wisc., died March 29 at 64. Carlson started her professional career serving a clinical internship at Rowley Memorial Hospital in Springfield, MA. She practiced in Elmwood and Madison. Wisc., before moving to Chetek in 1990. In 1996, She built the Animal Hospital of Chetek.

Carlson was elected President of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association (WVA) in 1994. She was the first woman to hold that office. In 2001, she was voted Wisconsin's Veterinarian of the Year by her colleagues. She served as the Wisconsin delegate in the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) House of Delegates from 1995 through 2003 and was elected to a two year term as AVMA vice president in 2004.

In 2010, Carlson was elected president-elect of the AVMA and became president in 2011. In 2013, she was appointed director of international affairs for the AVMA. In 2014, she was elected president of the World Veterinary Association (WVA), the first woman to hold that office. Carlson traveled to over thirty countries to promote veterinary causes during her term, which ended in 2017. She also served the AVMA on the Council of Education and on the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. In 2018, the AVMA awarded her the Global Veterinary Service Award for promoting veterinary medicine worldwide. She was also honored with a lifetime honorary membership in the WVA. This year, during International Woman's Day, Carlson was named to the list of groundbreaking women in veterinary medicine. She loved mentoring young veterinarians in leadership skills. Carlson is survived by her husband, Mark.

Meaghan E. Swensen, ’00 DVM, Lindstrom, Minn., died February 27 at 46. Before completing her DVM at the CVM, Swensen completed her BS in biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth in 1995. She practiced small animal veterinary medicine at Lakes Veterinary and Surgical Center in Lindstrom, Minn., for 17 years. Swensen loved and rescued retired racing greyhounds, volunteering many hours for Minnesota Greyhound Rescue. She is survived by her husband, Jeremy; and 3 children.

Wes G. Schroeder, ’64 DVM, Minnetonka, Minn., died January 27 at 82. Schroeder grew up on a farm near Bemidji, Minn., and was one of six children. He was the first in his family to attend college. He was active in the Beltrami County 4-H Club. Upon graduating from Bemidji High School in 1954, Schroeder joined the U.S. Army, serving as a medic in the 82nd Airborne Division. After serving for two years, he attended the University of Minnesota on the GI Bill, earning a bachelor of science in veterinary medicine in 1962. While in college, he spent his summers working as a smokejumper for the U.S. Forest Service in McCall, Idaho.

After finishing his DVM at the CVM, Schroeder taught large animal veterinary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and then Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. In 1966, he opened one of the first equine-specific veterinary practices in Minnesota and ran it on his own out of his home in Wayzata for four years before cofounding Minnesota Equine Associates Ltd. in 1972 in Maple Plain, Minn. Schroeder served the community as a dedicated equine veterinarian for nearly 48 years.

During his career, Schroeder was active in many national, state, and local equine organizations and committees, including acting as president of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) in 1979. While president of the MVMA, he administered the Veterinarian’s Oath at the CVM commencement ceremony. He also served as the chairman of public relations for MVMA, the first president of the Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners, the president of the MVMA Academy of Veterinary Medical Practice, and the president of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Alumni Association.

In 1981, Schroeder was honored as Horseman of the Year by the Minnesota Horse Council. His lifelong career reflected a dedication of time and energy to many equine areas, including participating in endurance and competitive trail riding in the upper midwest, mentoring equine veterinary students, and teaching horse health manment classes throughout the region. Schroeder was also a national award winner in competitive mounted orienteering in 1985. He is survived by 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

A Memorial Open House was held at the University of Minnesota Leatherdale Equine Center on Saturday, February 23. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that contributions be made to the Strike Zone "Striker" Memorial Equine Scholarship at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. If you have questions about this fund, contact Mindy Means, development officer at the CVM, at 612-626-5482 or mkmeans@umn.edu.

Donald A. Schmidt, DVM, ’50 MS, PhD, Columbia, Mo., died December 29 at 96. Schmidt received a master of science degree in veterinary pathology from the University of Minnesota while on a fellowship with the Mayo Clinic in 1950. In the same year, he accepted a position as veterinarian for the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, where he was the first full-time veterinarian employed by the zoo. In 1953, he accepted the position of assistant professor in veterinary pathology at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. He became certified by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 1959. He completed a PhD degree in veterinary pathology from Michigan State University in 1961, and in 1966, he accepted a position as professor of veterinary pathology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri–Columbia. Schmidt became one of nine who successfully passed the first national certifying examination of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in veterinary clinical pathology in 1972. He retired in 1992 as professor emeritus and continued working part-time for the pathology department until he was 80 years old. During his teaching career, Schmidt received the Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teaching Award four times. In 2005, Schmidt was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology. He is survived by 3 children, 16 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.

Harvey A. Olson, ’56 DVM, Enid, Okla., died January 1 at 91.

Sheldon G. Malmedal, ’73 DVM, Linton, N.D., died January 5 at 71. After completing his DVM, he moved to Dickinson, N.D., and practiced veterinary medicine until 1975 when he moved to Linton, N.D., and began the Linton Veterinary Practice Malmedal. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; 4 children; and 13 grandchildren.