In memoriam: Thomas R. Swartz, professor emeritus of economics
Thomas R. Swartz, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Notre Dame, died July 19. He was 84.
A native of Philadelphia, Swartz earned his doctoral degree in economics from Indiana University in 1965 after taking a master’s degree from Ohio University three years earlier and a bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University in 1960.
Upon receiving his doctorate, Swartz accepted an appointment to the economics faculty at Notre Dame, where he spent the next 45 years teaching everything from introductory courses to interdisciplinary seminars. A popular professor, he was the recipient of Notre Dame’s highest teaching honor in the College of Arts and Letters, the Sheedy Award.
Swartz also introduced and administered a summer program at Notre Dame’s study abroad site in London and was active in a range of campus issues, including service as president of the Faculty Senate.
Off campus, Swartz was involved in Democratic political campaigns, assisted local and state governments with issues related to urban economics, supported the foundation at Southwest Michigan College, and volunteered with the planning commission in Cass County, Michigan, the Diamond Lake Yacht Club, the Niles, Michigan, YMCA and St. Ann Catholic Church in Cassopolis, Michigan.
Swartz is survived by his wife, Jeanne Jourdan, along with five daughters, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will take place at 11 a.m. Aug. 12 (Friday) at St. Ann Catholic Church, 421 N. Broadway St., Cassopolis, Michigan.
Latest Faculty & Staff
- Disadvantaged entrepreneurs often fear success, but new research can helpWhen low-income entrepreneurs start their own businesses, they frequently fear failure — a well-documented phenomenon. But over time, they may also fear success, given the costs and unknowns it can bring, and this barrier to growth is under-studied and underappreciated. A new study from a Keough School of Global Affairs expert breaks new ground by explaining this fear and offers five recommendations to help entrepreneurs overcome it and move out of poverty.
- Mary Gallagher appointed dean of the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global AffairsMary Gallagher, the Amy and Alan Lowenstein Chair in Democracy, Democratization and Human Rights and director of the International Institute at the University of Michigan, has been appointed the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs by University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. Gallagher, who will also hold a tenured faculty position in the Keough School, begins her five-year term as dean on July 1.
- Opioid epidemic reaches beyond health impacts to influence politicsVicky Barone, assistant professor of economics at Notre Dame, researched the origins and development of the opioid epidemic and found that the unregulated marketing of potent painkillers led to increased access to prescription opioids and subsequent overdose mortalities. Tracing the long-term consequences of opioid overdose deaths on the political landscape in America, she found an increased support for conservative beliefs and Republican candidates.
- Doug Thompson appointed inaugural executive director of diversity and engagementDoug Thompson, current vice president for equity and inclusion at Gustavus Adolphus College, has been appointed as the inaugural executive director of diversity and engagement in the University of Notre Dame’s Division of Student Affairs, effective July 1.
- There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to addressing men’s health issues globallyAt a time when health resources are at a premium and need to be wisely allocated, health professionals must find points within men’s lives when it makes the most sense to intervene and advocate for preventive care for promoting better health outcomes. Life transitions such as marriage and fatherhood are often pivotal and crucial intervention points. But just like every man is different, health concerns across global communities differ as well. Research from the University of Notre Dame finds that not all life transitions produce the same health results, and not all men’s global health policies should look the same from one country to another.
- Three Notre Dame faculty named 2024 Guggenheim FellowsBarbara Montero, a professor of philosophy; Gretchen Reydams-Schils, a professor in the Program of Liberal Studies; and Roy Scranton, an associate professor of English and director of the Creative Writing Program and the Environmental Humanities Initiative, are among the 188 scholars, scientists and artists chosen from approximately 3,000 applicants for the fellowship. The Guggenheim Foundation awards these fellowships to outstanding scholars in order to add to the educational, literary, artistic and scientific power of the country.