When asked what set James Stephen Swinehart, PhD, apart as a professor, those who knew him best have a simple answer: He made the study of science feel more approachable. Now, thanks to the generosity and vision of Swinehart’s family, that legacy will inspire students for generations to come at his alma mater through the newly established James Stephen Swinehart, PhD, Endowed Professorship in Organic Chemistry at APP.
For Swinehart (ADL ’50), teaching wasn’t just a job—it was a calling. In interviews, he gratefully remembered taking an introductory course in organic chemistry and realizing he had found his vocation. The subject so intrigued him that he devoted his subsequent career to sharing his enthusiasm with new generations of students.
“This professorship is more than a tribute—it's a beacon for educators who share Dr. Swinehart’s passion for making science accessible and exciting,” College of Arts and Sciences Dean David Gerdes said. “Through this gift, his legacy will live on in the very same department where Case Western Reserve professors helped set him on the path to a long and meaningful career."
Following a short stint at American University, Swinehart spent 27 years on the faculty at the State University of New York College at Cortland, where he not only taught organic chemistry but also championed the early adoption of computers in the classroom, in order to make learning more accessible. A beloved teacher and mentor, Swinehart frequently received testimonials in the “My Favorite Professor” column of the campus newspaper.
“Our dad was able to convince a lot of the brighter students to aim high and go the pre-med route to medical school,” his daughter, Susan Cholette, said. “He saw potential everywhere, especially in students who hadn’t yet discovered it in themselves.”
This endowed professorship—originally a teaching fellowship created in 2017 with a $1.25 million gift from his wife, Ann, and Susan, to honor Swinehart’s commitment to undergraduate education—has now grown to $2.5 million, thanks to the family's continued support through the James and Ann Swinehart Foundation. But the goal remains the same: to reward and encourage teaching that sparks curiosity and keeps students excited about science.
At the time of the original gift in 2017, Ann Swinehart, who passed away in 2023, said the purpose was “to add value to the teaching of organic chemistry” and, in a sense, to allow her husband “to return to and live on at the university that he so loved and that provided him that special time and nurturing space to flourish and to find his life’s passion.”
