The inspiration behind the McSwain Foundation is Jim McSwain. Jim passed away in 2008, but in his time made a tremendous impact on the communities he lived in and the people he served. The most visible role Jim served in his life was as Fire Chief of the Lawrence Fire Department. Jim served as Chief of this great department for 27 years before retiring in 2005. Considering the average tenure of someone in this position is about 5 years, it is easy to see why Jim’s impact on the community of Lawrence is still felt today and why his name still resonates in the community.
Jim came to Lawrence after having been an assistant professor in firefighting techniques at Oklahoma State University Technical Institute. He was a firefighter in the Marine Corps and later joined the Fire Department in Montgomery, Ala., where he grew up (Roll Tide!).
Among the major fires during Jim's tenure in Lawrence were those at the former FMC plant at North Lawrence in the 1980s, the Hoch Auditorium on the University of Kansas campus in 1991, and a 1997 fire that threatened a downtown city block.
Jim oversaw the merger of the city fire department and county ambulance service into the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical Department in 1997. During his tenure, lime green firetrucks were one of the most identifiable features of the city. At Jim's retirement ceremony, another fire chief said "when you think of Lawrence, you think of lime green fire trucks and Jim McSwain".
While his time as Chief was the most public aspect of Jim's life, perhaps his favorite role was "Grandpa".
(And with 12 grandkids, you better enjoy it!)
Jim's family is very much a part of the McSwain Foundation and very proud to carry on his legacy in the Lawrence community.
