Evening star., 1936-12-07
|G.W.U. ANNOUNCES
|DR. SW|SHER PRIZE
Annual Award Tribute to
Professor Emeritus of
History, 80.

Establishment of q Charles Clinton
Swisher prize was announced today by
George Washington University in
honor Of its professor emeritus of his
tory, who was celebrating his Goth
birthday anniversary.
The prize will be awarded annually
to a student who has done distin-
guished work in the field of medieval
history, the subject in which DIR.
Swisher, who retired from a,.tive work
in 1927. was best known, and which he
taught at the university 81 years. 1t
will be monetary award and was
created by the Swisher History Club.
DR.. Swisher, who organized the uni
versity's history department in 1896,
and for 10 years taught all the courses
from ancient to modern history. will
be honored at a reception this after
noon in the Cosmos Club by members
of the staff of the history department.
Discusses European Situation.
Since leaving his active duties on
the university faculty. DIR. Swisher
has maintained keen interest in
world affairs and discussed today the
European situation, which has brought
several nations to the brink of war
as a result of events in Spain.
Much of the turmoil in Europe could
have been averted if France, Italy
and Spain had adopted the Amer
lean system OF government. with its
fixed term of years for an administra-
tion, instead of the British system.
with ministries rising or falling &C
cording to the issues Of the moment,
DR.. Swisher believes.
1.-The peoples of France, italy and
Spain are not fitted by temperament
for the British system of government.
In many cases, ministries have fallen
on some issue which was forgotten
after few months or year, when it
could have carried on effectively If
it had had a definite term Of Office,
as in America or Switzerland. The
| rise of MuSsolini, for example, was
largely due to succession Of weak
ministries. which led to a lack OF
| faith in democratic government"
Dr.. Swisher graduated from Yale
University in 1876, and later studied
extensively in Europe. He spent IL
years in Mexico studying cultivation
of the coffee plant and eucalyptus fol
the Mexican government. He re-
ceived degrees from the Columbia Law
School in 1881. from Cornell Univer-
sity in 1895. an honorary degree from
the University Of Guadalajara, Mexico
in 1890, and an honorary LII. D. from
Mount ST. Mary's College in 1905 from
the late Cardinal Gibbons. He is the
author of several books.
Mountain Climbing Pastime.
During his trips abroad, DR.. Swisher
devoted a great deal Of time to his
He numbered among his acquaint-
ances Queen Victoria, William II OF
Germany, Robert Browning and Lord
Tennyson. AS late as 10 years ago. he
was still seeking out strange places
and one of his most vivid recollec-
tions is of camel ride in the Sahara
Desert, after which he needed the
assistance of two men even to walk
DR.. Swisher was best known for his
work in medieval history and was
referred to by Woodrow Wilson. when
he was president of Princeton Univer-
sity. as the best interpreter of medieval
history in this country. Among his
former students are Dean William C
| Van Week of the university law school
Prof. De Witt c. Croissant of the
English department, Prof. Warren
Reed West of the school of govern
ment. and Dean Elmer Louis Kayser
and Prof. George M. Churchill of the
history department.