Background
He was born in Pendleton, Indiana, to Woolston and Mary A. Swain.
He was born in Pendleton, Indiana, to Woolston and Mary A. Swain.
Business Level 1883, Mississippi 1885)
Wabash College (Doctor of Laws 1893).
Education Professor of mathematics and biology at Indiana University (1883–1891) Professor of mathematics at Stanford University (1891–1893) President of Indiana University (1893-1902) President of Swarthmore College (1902-1921) Joseph Swain was Indiana University’s first Indiana-born president Starting in 1885, Swain was an associate professor of mathematics until 1886, where he then was professor for five years until 1891. He left his professorship at Indiana University in 1891 to follow departing Indiana University president David Starr Jordan to Stanford University, where he taught as a professor of mathematics.
In 1893, Swain received the degree LL.D from Wabash College.
Swain returned to Indiana University in 1893 to serve as Indiana University"s ninth president, succeeding John Coulter who served as Indiana University"s eight president He met Frances M. Morgan, of Knightstown, Indiana, while teaching at Indiana University and they went on to marry on September 22, 1885.
Swain accepted the invitation to serve as President for Swarthmore College in 1902 until 1921. He retired from Swarthmore in 1921 as President Emeritus and died six years later.
He is buried in his hometown of Pendleton in Friends Cemetery.
Swain served as Indiana University"s president from 1893 to 1902. During that time, he established Kirkwood Hall in 1894. A gymnasium for men in 1896, which later was named Assembly Hall.
Kirkwood Observatory in 1900.
And he began construction for Science Hall in 1901. During his presidency, student enrollment increased from 524 to 1,285.
Swain was the ex-president of the Indiana State Teachers Association, member of the Section on Higher Education of the National Council on Education, member of the World Peace Foundation and served as president of the National Education Association from 1913-1914.