Evening star., 1940-02-06
Faculty and Students;
AT 6. W. u. Mourn
DR.. {. {. Swisher
Emeritus Professor, 90,
Noted as Historian
And Traveller

George Washington University
today mourned the death of Dr.
Charles Clinton Swisher, 93-year-
old emeritus professor Of history,
who died Sunday. Flags were at
half staff as faculty and students
alike paid tribute to the man who
was one of the university's most
noted teachers.
At last nights faculty meeting
DR.. Cloyd H. Marvin, president Of
the university, and the assembled
faculty members observed a mo-
ment of silence dedicated to the
memory of DR.. Wisher, whose body
lies in Gawler's funeral chapel
awaiting burial. Funeral arrange
ments await the recovery Of DR..
Swisher's nephew, i'll at his New
Jersey home.
Emeritus professor since 1927, DR..
Swisher had been professor of his
tory at George Washington from
1896 until that time. In all his 80
years at G. w., he never appeared
before class without being dressed
in morning coat.
Established Department.
But if his "old school" dress and
manner were out of date, his knowl-
edge and ability to teach never were.
In 1886 the university established a
Charles Clinton Swisher annual his
tory prize to be awarded in his
honor. He established the schools
history department in 1896 and for
10 years thereafter taught all the
courses from ancient to modern his
tory. In later years he specialized
in medieval history.
In December a portrait of DR..
Swisher which hangs in the uni
versity library was formally dedi-
Gated to him. The picture was q
presentation Of the Swisher Memo
rial Society, named for the doctor,
on the occasion of his 93d birth
day anniversary.
Studied at 8 Universities.
DR.. Swisher was born in Muncy
Pa. Extensively educated, he studied
at Yale University, Columbia Uni
versity Law School, Cornell. the
Universities of Paris, Berlin, Heidel-
berg, Guadalajara and at Mount
st. Mary's College.
From 1881 to 1883 he practiced
law in New York City. leaving ~to
develop and plant a large tract OF
land in California in coffee and
cocoa. His agricultural pursuits
led him into Mexico, where he be-
friended President Diaz. who COM
missioned him to study methods
of coffee production in Asia and
the East Indies and to examine the
possibilities of planting Australian
eucalyptus in Mexico. He published
his findings in a tract called THE
Eucalyptus, Native and Trans
planted" in 1888.
His writings on the history Of
religious orders in Mexico bearing
on the conflict between church and
state led to his arrest and banish-
ment from the country. The BAN
ishment was later rescinded. How
ever in 1893 an attack of yellow
fever threatened his health, and DR.
Swisher returned to the United
States to pursue the study OF his
tory he had begun under Prof. Leo
pold Won Rauke at the University
Of Berlin. After several years work
at Cornell, he came to teach at
George Washington.
Travelled Much.
After his retirement, the doctor
Travelled through Northern Africa,
visiting Fee and other historic
places. Always an ardent traveller
DR.. Swisher crossed the Atlantic
26 times. A member of several
Alpine clubs, he is known to have
scaled, among other peaks, Mount
Blanc, Mount Washington and
Mount Rainier.
He was 68 years old when the
World War broke out and was in
Germany. After great difficulty he
was allowed to leave the country.
Widely known, DR.. Swisher num-
bered among his acquaintance
Queen Victoria, William II of Ger
many, Robert Browning and Alfred
Lord Tennyson. He is said to have
known every President of the
United States from the time of Lin
coin. William Howard Taft was his
classmate at Yale and the two main
tanned warm friendship.
When he was president of Prince
ton University, Woodrow Wilson
termed DR.. Swisher the best in