Hendrickson is 30th Governor of Swedish Colonial Society

Ronald Hendrickson became the 30th Governor of the Swedish Colonial Society at its Jubilee luncheon held recently at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington. This event capped two days of festivities in three states and celebrated the 365th anniversary of the founding of the New Sweden Colony, the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. In attendance were Ambassador of Sweden Jan Eliasson, Stockholm Lord Mayor Barry Andersson, Wilmington Mayor James Baker and 300 other notable Swedish- and Finnish-Americans from across the country.

"I am especially honored to become Governor at such a significant event in the history of New Sweden and our Society," noted Hendrickson. "The tremendous amount of preparation and the truly fantastic results achieved by this celebration are testaments to the spirit of cooperation that exists in the modern-day colony. I am proud to work with the finest group of volunteers and I am particularly pleased to share responsibility with my good friend and colleague, Kim-Eric Williams, the new Senior Deputy Governor."

Hendrickson, 49, who resides in Moorestown, NJ, with his wife, Nancy and children Katherine, Rachel and Andrew, earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1976 from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded a Juris Doctor in 1979 from Rutgers University School of Law. Ron was a government prosecutor and later defense counsel in private practice. In 1986, he became a partner in the advertising design firm of Cataleno & Company to explore the then-new communication possibilities offered by the World Wide Web. The Swedish Colonial Society has been a major beneficiary of RonÕs career change.

In 1998, Hendrickson became the publisher of Swedish Colonial News and was responsible for its revised design layout and expanded content to the present 20-page format. This journal now serves as the principal printed resource for news and information about the Swedish Colonial Society and the New Sweden Colony in America. A year later in 1999, Hendrickson created and launched the Society's web site (www.ColonialSwedes.org), which has received more than 175,000 visitors worldwide since its inception. He continues to serve as Webmaster for this electronic resource, which contains more than 100 pages of information, including histories and timelines, Forefather family profiles and descriptions of historic sites from the New Sweden Colony. Hendrickson has served as Senior Deputy Governor since 2000 and, in recognition of contributions, in 2002 he was named Fellow of the Swedish Colonial Society.

A Life and Forefather member, Ron first became interested in colonial history as a youth while working on the citizenship portion of his Eagle Scout award. He is a tenth generation descendant of eight New Sweden colonists, including Johan Hendricksson who arrived on the vessel Örnen (Eagle) in May 1654. In 1699, Ron's eighth great grandfather, Andrew Hendricksson, built the stone house on Crum Creek, which was moved in 1959 to the grounds of Holy Trinity (Old Swedes') Church, Wilmington. Now known as the "Hendrickson House," this ancient structure serves as a museum, gift shop and the headquarters of the Holy Trinity (Old Swedes') Church Foundation, Inc.

The 365th Jubilee benefited from Hendrickson's communication expertise as well. The descendant children's banner presented at Trinity Church, Swedesboro, was a product of the design craft of Cataleno & Company. In addition, Hendrickson authored the official Jubilee commemorative booklet New Sweden: Past, Present & Future. This small volume is expertly illustrated with scenes from modern-day New Sweden and is destined to become a treasured keepsake of the Jubilee celebration.