- Collection Overview
- Collection Description & Creator Information
- Access & Use
- Collection History
- Find Related Materials
Expanded View
Collection Overview
- Creator:
- Swift, John Longworth (1922-2013)
- Title:
- John L. Swift Papers
- Repository:
- Public Policy Papers
- Permanent URL:
- http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/5h73pz79q
- Dates:
- 1957-2013 (mostly 1958-1970)
- Size:
- 5 boxes
- Storage Note:
- Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-5
- Language:
- English
Abstract
John Longworth Swift (1922-2013) was senior engineer and vice president of the Development and Resources Corporation (D and R). The majority of the collection pertains to Swift's work for D and R, especially his supervision of the Dez Dam project in the Khuzestan region of Iran.
Collection Description & Creator Information
- Scope and Contents
The majority of the collection pertains to Swift's work for the Development and Resources Corporation (D and R). Swift's supervision of the Dez Dam project in the Khuzestan region of Iran is especially well-documented, though the collection also contains records of D and R's domestic projects and projects involving the nations of Vietnam, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Uruguay and others. The collection consists of Swift's journals, working drafts and published reports, D and R informational brochures, news clippings and magazines (mostly in Farsi), internal D and R correspondence, and external correspondence with the engineering company Impregilo and with various government officials, particularly in Iran. The published reports in the collection were mostly authored or co-authored by D and R, though a small number of reports by other groups related to D and R consulting or development projects are present. Also included are slides depicting the construction of the Dez Dam and the daily life of Swift and his family in the Khuzestan province, along with slides from Swift's travels for D and R postdating the Dez Dam project. In addition to records of D and R's projects, the collection consists of D and R's administrative records from the late 1960s and early 1970s, particularly internal correspondence and notes regarding the general policies and restructuring of D and R.
To a much lesser extent, the collection contains information on Swift's career after his tenure with the Development and Resources Corporation, mainly with the firm GEOMET, and some biographical materials.
- Arrangement
Materials remain in their original order as received from the donor.
- Collection Creator Biography:
Swift
John Longworth Swift (1922-2013) was senior engineer and vice president of the Development and Resources Corporation. Born in London, Swift was brought to the United States by his parents when he was less than one year old. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, CT in 1942, afterwards serving in the Air Force during World War II.
In 1948, Swift earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from Yale University. He spent the next fifty years managing and working as an engineer for various civil engineering, environmental research and energy development projects. Prior to working for the Development and Resources Corporation, Swift was a supervising engineer on several major construction projects in the United States and Canada. He then joined the Development and Resources Corporation and lived in the Khuzestan region of Iran from 1958-1963, serving as the project engineer for the organization's Dez Dam project in the city of Andimeshk. Following his work on the Dez Dam, Swift was responsible for supervising the Development and Resources Corporation's engineering and agricultural projects in Nicaragua, Colombia, Uruguay, Guinea, Iran, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.
In 1970, Swift took a position as vice president of GEOMET, an environmental consulting firm in Rockville, MD. From 1982-1985, he was the manager of foreign affiliates for an American electric power systems firm. Swift was an independent consultant for the rest of his career, though he also served as an energy advisor to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Pakistan from 1989-1994.
Swift died in Portland, ME at age 90.
Collection History
- Acquisition:
This collection was donated by Katharine Swift Gravino in April 2016. The accession number associated with this donation is ML.2016.008.
- Appraisal
Approximately 0.5 linear feet of duplicative or widely available news clippings and magazines were removed from the collection.
- Processing Information
This collection was processed by Rachel Van Unen in April 2016 at the time of accessioning. A folder list was created and all materials were described in a finding aid. Some materials were reboxed or refoldered, but no physical rearrangement was done at this time.
Access & Use
- Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research use.
- Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, any copyright vested in the donor has passed to The Trustees of Princeton University and researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of donor-created materials within the collection. For materials in the collection not created by the donor, or where the material is not an original, the copyright is likely not held by the University. In these instances, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have a question about who owns the copyright for an item, you may request clarification by contacting us through the Ask Us! form.
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
- Credit this material:
John L. Swift Papers; Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Permanent URL:
- http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/5h73pz79q
- Location:
-
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library65 Olden StreetPrinceton, NJ 08540, USA
- Storage Note:
- Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-5
