Bob Swann Obituary
by Stephanie Mills
Robert Swann, a peace activist and seminal figure in the
decentralist and community economics movements in the US
died peacefully at his home in South Egremont, Massachusetts
on January 13, 2003, where he had lived for twenty-three
years. The cause of his death was lung cancer, said his
partner, Susan Witt. He was 84.
A modest, genial man, Robert Swann led a life of activism.
When the US entered the second World War, Mr. Swann was
auditing courses at the University of Ohio. He refused to
co-operate with the draft. As a non-compliant conscientious
objector, he was sentenced to two and a half years' federal
imprisonment. Incarceration with other conscientious objectors
developed Mr. Swann's knowledge of decentralism and community
economics as well as his practice of civil disobedience.
"Prison was his monastery and his university,"
said Ms. Witt. In later years, Mr. Swann was president and
founder of the E.F. Schumacher Society in America. The Schumacher
Society, a private not-for-profit educational organization,
hosts a variety of projects that implement the philosophy
of Small Is Beautiful author E. F. Schumacher. Mr. Swann
was instrumental in bringing Schumacher’s work to
the attention of audiences in the US. Swann’s lifelong
interest in land trusts, community credit, worker cooperatives
and local currency all stemmed from his peace activism.
He felt that in the absence of what his friend Schumacher
called an “economics as if people mattered,"
conflict and war were inevitable.
In 1972, with economist Ralph Borsodi, Mr. Swann revivified
the local currency movement in the US. Some twenty-three
communities since that time have created their own money
systems.
Based on his researches in Israel and India Robert Swann
pioneered the community land trust, which is a means of
stabilizing land tenure together with its status and value.
Over one hundred community land trusts now exist in the
US. Among them is the Community Land Trust in the Southern
Berkshires in Massachusetts; comprising 49 acres in three
non-contiguous parcels, this land trust includes two neighborhoods
of owner-occupied homes that are kept permanently affordable
through resale covenants, and Indian Line Farm. Indian Line
is the first Community Supported Agriculture farm in the
country, growing organic vegetables for its shareholders
and for local markets. Many of the buildings on the two
residential sites, including the E. F. Schumacher Library,
were designed and built by Mr. Swann, who worked as a carpenter
and contractor for much of his life. He was especially influenced
by Frank Lloyd Wright and in the 1950s had occasion to build
several houses designed by Wright.
Born March 26, 1918, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Robert
Swann was the elder of two sons of Clarence Swann and the
former Aline Abrams. He attended public schools. Shortly
after his release from Ashland Federal Prison, Mr. Swann
married Marjorie Schaefer, a fellow peace activist, from
whom he was separated in 1978 and later divorced.
In the early 1960s Swann and Schaefer established The Committee
for Nonviolent Action (CNVA). Begun in support of the Polaris
Action Campaign, CNVA used nonviolent confrontation to oppose
nuclear weapons testing and deployment. From Groton, Connecticut,
to the Caribbean island of Culebra, Mr. Swann played a supportive
role in many direct actions during the 1960s and 70s.
David Ehrenfeld, author of The Arrogance of Humanism, called
Robert Swann a model of “…intellectual creativity
and productivity, of honesty, of steadfastness of purpose,
compassion, moral strength, hard work and humility."
"Bob Swann learned how to build things right,"
said Kirkpatrick Sale, author of Human Scale, "and
that is what he did—in the peace movement, in community
land trust initiatives and in the Schumacher Society."
Robert Swann is survived by his partner, Susan Witt; his
brother James; his daughters Barbara, Carol and Judy, a
son, Scott; and a grandson,Tyler.
Donations in his memory may be made to the Robert
Swann Memorial Fund, E. F. Schumacher Society, 140 Jug
End Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230 USA.
A memorial service was held February 22nd, 2003 at 2:00
P.M. at the First Congregational Church, Main Street, Great
Barrington.
