Photo left to right: David and Mary Swain, Lt. Gen. John Rosa, Chris and Debora Swain
Alumni brothers and their families committed to advancing science innovation
The Citadel is proud to announce a pair of substantial gifts to name the Swain Family School of Science and Mathematics. The combined eight-figure gifts were formalized June 1 by brothers David C. Swain, Jr., Citadel Class of 1980, and his wife Mary, as well as Dr. Christopher C. Swain, Citadel Class of 1981, and his wife Debora at a private signing event in the college president’s office. The Swains have been a part of The Citadel family for decades.
“The Swain family is extremely generous to The Citadel. Their gifts advance their legacy and expand the transformative impact they are making campus-wide,” said Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa, USAF (Retired), president of The Citadel and member of the Class of 1973. “The support of the Swain family will help us take our School of Science and Mathematics to the next level in its ongoing pursuit of academic distinction and national prominence.”
The gifts will fund the modernization and renovation of outdated facilities in Byrd and Duckett Halls, ensuring excellence in education not only for biology, chemistry, and nursing majors, but also for non-science majors taking general education and service-related courses.
In addition, the gifts will establish and support a Center for Science, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. The center will be housed in renovated laboratory space in Byrd Hall, where a state-of-the-art innovation space will be constructed. Objectives for the center include:
• Facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty, cadets and students
• Fostering partnerships among industry and academia
• Providing access to emerging technologies
• Promoting innovation and entrepreneurship by developing both technical and nontechnical skills in the pursuit of solving real-world problems
The Swain family’s desire to advance the School of Science and Mathematics at The Citadel stems from their shared personal and professional interests. Together, the Swain brothers founded the Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG) in Mauldin, South Carolina, in 2006 with a vision to elevate women’s health care by providing quality medical care to expectant mothers. More than a decade later, OBHG is the single largest dedicated OB/GYN hospitalist provider, partnering with approximately 700 board-certified physicians nationwide.
Chris Swain, a veteran OB/GYN doctor himself, founded the company as the result of his passion for women’s health care and his strong commitment to seeing the industry elevated to provide improved safety and care. After graduating from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, he attended the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and completed his OB/GYN residency training at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. He currently serves on OBHG’s Board of Directors and resides on Isle of Palms, South Carolina, with Debbie and their two sons, both of whom are currently enrolled in the South Carolina Corps of Cadets at The Citadel.
As co-founder and current member of the Board of Directors, David Swain brings more than 20 years of corporate experience to OBHG, where he oversees all operational aspects of the company to ensure the highest quality of care and service. Prior to joining OBHG, he served as president of two technology companies and served 10 years as a U.S. Air Force officer, implementing $5.5 billion life-cycle technology upgrades at bases worldwide. After graduating from The Citadel with a computer science degree, he earned a graduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of South Carolina. David and Mary also manage a vineyard in the upstate area of South Carolina, where they reside with their six children.
In 2017, the family provided the gift launching the Swain Department of Nursing at The Citadel, which will have its first graduating class in 2019. Additionally, they recently celebrated the groundbreaking of the Swain Boating Center on the college’s campus, which will reintroduce the Lowcountry water culture to the campus community after replacing an outdated facility.
The Citadel and The Citadel Foundation are profoundly grateful to the Swain family for its generosity in advancing the Swain Family School of Science and Mathematics even as they continue to support numerous other interests on campus. Their contributions, coupled with those of many other alumni and friends, helped to ensure the unprecedented success of the recently concluded $175 million Foundation for Leadership campaign, which raised over $250 million in celebration of The Citadel’s 175 anniversary.
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