Raymond Gram Swing
Encyclopedia
Raymond Gram Swing was an American print and broadcast journalist. He was one of the most influential news commentators of his era, heard by people worldwide as a leading American voice from Britain during World War II. Known originally as Raymond Swing, he adopted his wife's last name in 1919 and became known as Raymond Gram Swing.
on March 25, 1887. He attended Oberlin College
in Ohio, where his father was a professor of theology. As a youth, Swing was the proverbial "minister's son" and felt unable to live up to his parents' high expectations. Describing himself during his student days as "a prankster who found freshman math 'totally incomprehensible,'" Swing only lasted for a year at Oberlin. He later expressed gratitude for "how much Oberlin had given me—in music, in the first interest I had in the other arts, and in the basic liberalism of racial and sexual equality." "Just being a part of Oberlin gave me an innate sense of the political equality of men and women—all men and all women."
. This was followed by stints at the Richmond Evening News, the Indianapolis Star and the Cincinnati Times Star. Determined to prove himself after what he saw as his early failure, he worked to the point of exhaustion. His career was meteoric. At age 23 he became managing editor of the Indianapolis Sun. Then he was named London bureau chief for the Philadelphia Public Ledger. He also wrote for the journal The Nation
during this time.
By 1913, Swing was working as Berlin and Germany bureau chief for the Chicago Daily News
. When World War I
broke out in 1914, he covered major battles and was the first to report on the existence of Big Bertha
, a massive 420 mm artillery cannon. In 1915 the Chicago Daily News
sent him to Turkey, where his coverage of the attack on the Dardanelles
and other stories made him legendary.
Crossing the Sea of Marmora on a Turkish freighter, the Nagara, as a British sub overtook the ship, one of the officers signaled for Swing to do the talking. The British sub commander asked "Who are you?" A question to which Swing should have replied with the ship's name but he instead responded, "I am Raymond Swing, of the Chicago Daily News."
. Swing turned the job down and it was later given to Edward R. Murrow
. Swing instead joined the Mutual Broadcasting System
, where, in 1936, he began to broadcast on European affairs, emerging as a strong voice of opposition to Adolf Hitler
and Fascism
. As the Nazis rose in power and influence and began to threaten Europe, Mutual increased his broadcasts to five times a week. He also gave a number of lectures in the United States and abroad on the dangers of Fascism
.
Because of his prestige and credibility, Swing was chosen to be chairman of the Council for Democracy, a group founded in 1940 to support American rearmament and combat domestic isolationism
. Funded by Henry Luce
, the Council was led by Harvard political science professor Carl Joachim Friedrich
and Charles Douglas Jackson
, vice president of Time magazine
. Swing was the narrator for the cartoon series How War Came, nominated in 1941 for an Academy Award in the Best Short Subject, Cartoons category.
During the war, Swing was reportedly the nation's highest-paid radio commentator. After the war he worked at ABC
, BBC
and the Blue Network
.
After thirty years with ABC, he was released from his position two weeks after reporting on the Senate bill known as the Pepper-Neely bill, that advocated a dietary treatment for cancer.
In the spring of 1951, after Swing had been offered a position with the Voice of America
(VOI), the entertainment industry periodical Counterattack
called him a Communist sympathizer. He then received his security clearance and joined the VOI as a political commentator in May. In 1953, he was called to testify before Senator Joseph McCarthy's Investigations Subcommittee, but was questioned for only a few minutes in private. Because he objected to McCarthy's treatment of the VOA and to the State Department's failure to defend the service and its employees, he resigned, sending a copy of his resignation letter to the press. It said he was resigning to protest the State Department's "spineless failure...to stand by its own staff," citing the recent resignation of Theodore Kaghan
in particular. He said the VOA "has been crippled, perhaps beyond recovery, by slanderous attacks on its integrity."
During the early 1950s, Edward R. Murrow hired Swing to write news copy for him.
Swing returned to his former position as a political commentator for the VOA from 1959 to 1964.
Oberlin awarded him an honorary degree in 1940.
In 1962, Folkways Records
released Raymond Swing: Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Album, which included highlights from Swing's career.
Swing died at home in Washington D.C. on December 22, 1968. Fred W. Friendly
of CBS said: "He was the closest thing broadcasting ever had to a Walter Lippmann."
College years
Swing was born in Cortland, New YorkCortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
on March 25, 1887. He attended Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in Ohio, where his father was a professor of theology. As a youth, Swing was the proverbial "minister's son" and felt unable to live up to his parents' high expectations. Describing himself during his student days as "a prankster who found freshman math 'totally incomprehensible,'" Swing only lasted for a year at Oberlin. He later expressed gratitude for "how much Oberlin had given me—in music, in the first interest I had in the other arts, and in the basic liberalism of racial and sexual equality." "Just being a part of Oberlin gave me an innate sense of the political equality of men and women—all men and all women."
Early career
After leaving Oberlin, Swing worked briefly in a barber shop. His first foray into journalism came at age 19, in 1906 with the Cleveland PressCleveland Press
The Cleveland Press was a daily American newspaper published in Cleveland, Ohio from November 2, 1878, through June 17, 1982. From 1928 to 1966, the paper's editor was Louis Seltzer....
. This was followed by stints at the Richmond Evening News, the Indianapolis Star and the Cincinnati Times Star. Determined to prove himself after what he saw as his early failure, he worked to the point of exhaustion. His career was meteoric. At age 23 he became managing editor of the Indianapolis Sun. Then he was named London bureau chief for the Philadelphia Public Ledger. He also wrote for the journal The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
during this time.
By 1913, Swing was working as Berlin and Germany bureau chief for the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
. When World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out in 1914, he covered major battles and was the first to report on the existence of Big Bertha
Big Bertha (Howitzer)
Big Bertha Bertha") is the name of a type of super-heavy howitzer developed by the famous armaments manufacturer Krupp in Germany on the eve of World War I...
, a massive 420 mm artillery cannon. In 1915 the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
sent him to Turkey, where his coverage of the attack on the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
and other stories made him legendary.
Crossing the Sea of Marmora on a Turkish freighter, the Nagara, as a British sub overtook the ship, one of the officers signaled for Swing to do the talking. The British sub commander asked "Who are you?" A question to which Swing should have replied with the ship's name but he instead responded, "I am Raymond Swing, of the Chicago Daily News."
Career after World War I
During the 1920s, Swing migrated to the new medium of radio journalism, to which his reassuring and articulate manner was uniquely suited. After covering the 1932 presidential election, he was offered a job at CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. Swing turned the job down and it was later given to Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
. Swing instead joined the Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
, where, in 1936, he began to broadcast on European affairs, emerging as a strong voice of opposition to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. As the Nazis rose in power and influence and began to threaten Europe, Mutual increased his broadcasts to five times a week. He also gave a number of lectures in the United States and abroad on the dangers of Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
.
Because of his prestige and credibility, Swing was chosen to be chairman of the Council for Democracy, a group founded in 1940 to support American rearmament and combat domestic isolationism
Isolationism
Isolationism is the policy or doctrine of isolating one's country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc., seeking to devote the entire efforts of one's country to its own advancement and remain at peace by...
. Funded by Henry Luce
Henry Luce
Henry Robinson Luce was an influential American publisher. He launched and closely supervised a stable of magazines that transformed journalism and the reading habits of upscale Americans...
, the Council was led by Harvard political science professor Carl Joachim Friedrich
Carl Joachim Friedrich
Carl Joachim Friedrich was a German-American professor and political theorist....
and Charles Douglas Jackson
Charles Douglas Jackson
General Charles Douglas Jackson was an expert on psychological warfare who served in the Office of Strategic Services in World War II and later as Special Assistant to the President in the Eisenhower administration....
, vice president of Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
. Swing was the narrator for the cartoon series How War Came, nominated in 1941 for an Academy Award in the Best Short Subject, Cartoons category.
During the war, Swing was reportedly the nation's highest-paid radio commentator. After the war he worked at ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the Blue Network
Blue Network
The Blue Network, and its immediate predecessor, the NBC Blue Network, were the on-air names of an American radio production and distribution service from 1927 to 1945...
.
After thirty years with ABC, he was released from his position two weeks after reporting on the Senate bill known as the Pepper-Neely bill, that advocated a dietary treatment for cancer.
In the spring of 1951, after Swing had been offered a position with the Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
(VOI), the entertainment industry periodical Counterattack
Counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic used in response against an attack. The term originates in military strategy. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy in attack and the specific objectives are usually to regain lost ground or to destroy attacking enemy units.It is...
called him a Communist sympathizer. He then received his security clearance and joined the VOI as a political commentator in May. In 1953, he was called to testify before Senator Joseph McCarthy's Investigations Subcommittee, but was questioned for only a few minutes in private. Because he objected to McCarthy's treatment of the VOA and to the State Department's failure to defend the service and its employees, he resigned, sending a copy of his resignation letter to the press. It said he was resigning to protest the State Department's "spineless failure...to stand by its own staff," citing the recent resignation of Theodore Kaghan
Theodore Kaghan
-Early years:Kaghan was born in Boston and graduated from the University of Michigan.At the University of Michigan he won several annual prizes given for undergraduate dramatic writing, including the top award in 1935 for a play called Unfinished Picture, later read but not performed by the Group...
in particular. He said the VOA "has been crippled, perhaps beyond recovery, by slanderous attacks on its integrity."
During the early 1950s, Edward R. Murrow hired Swing to write news copy for him.
Swing returned to his former position as a political commentator for the VOA from 1959 to 1964.
Personal life and recognition
Following a brief marriage during his first years in Europe, Swing married his second wife, Betty Gram (c. 1894 – 1969), a feminist and suffragist, whom he met in Berlin in 1919. Because Swing shared her views on gender equality, he adopted her surname and became known as Raymond Gram Swing. The couple had two sons and a daughter. They divorced in 1944 and he dropped the "Gram" from his name. He later married Meisung Loh, who survived him.Oberlin awarded him an honorary degree in 1940.
In 1962, Folkways Records
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
released Raymond Swing: Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Album, which included highlights from Swing's career.
Swing died at home in Washington D.C. on December 22, 1968. Fred W. Friendly
Fred W. Friendly
Fred W. Friendly was a president of CBS News and the creator, along with Edward R. Murrow, of the documentary television program See It Now...
of CBS said: "He was the closest thing broadcasting ever had to a Walter Lippmann."
Sources
- "Radio Find", an admiring profile of Raymond Swing in Time, Jan. 8, 1940
- Historian John Simkin
- Oberlin Alumni Magazine Spring 2000
- Culbert, David Holbrook. News for everyman: radio and foreign affairs in thirties America, Greenwood Press, 1976.