Joseph Swain
Encyclopedia
Joseph Swain served as the ninth president of Indiana University
.
(1891–1893)
, he attended IU as an undergraduate and graduate student, and began his teaching career in IU’s Departments of Mathematics and Biology. He left his professorship at IU in 1891 to follow departing IU president David Starr Jordan
to Stanford University
. He then accepted the invitation to return to IU as president in 1893, a position he held for nine years. Swain was a member of the Religious Society of Friends
, and though successful at IU, he ultimately accepted the invitation to become president of Swarthmore College
in 1902. He retired from Swarthmore in 1921 as President Emeritus and died six years later.
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
.
Professional Background
Professor of mathematics and biology at Indiana University (1883–1891), professor of mathematics at Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
(1891–1893)
Biography
Joseph Swain was IU’s first Indiana-born president. A native of Pendleton, IndianaPendleton, Indiana
Pendleton is a town in Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, he attended IU as an undergraduate and graduate student, and began his teaching career in IU’s Departments of Mathematics and Biology. He left his professorship at IU in 1891 to follow departing IU president David Starr Jordan
David Starr Jordan
David Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He then accepted the invitation to return to IU as president in 1893, a position he held for nine years. Swain was a member of the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, and though successful at IU, he ultimately accepted the invitation to become president of Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
in 1902. He retired from Swarthmore in 1921 as President Emeritus and died six years later.