Joseph R. Swan

Joseph Rockwell Swan (October 21, 1878 – November 1965) was an American investment banker, football player and coach. He played college football for Yale University from 1899 to 1901 and was the head coach of the 1902 team. Swan later had a long and successful career in the investment banking business, serving as the president or senior partner of three major securities firms: Guaranty Company (1928–1934), Edward Smith & Co. (1934–1937), and Smith Barney & Co. (1937–1944). He was also affiliated with the New York Botanical Garden as its president (1937–1949) and chairman of the board (1949–1858).

Early years Swan was born in Utica, New York in 1878. He was the son of Joseph R. Swan and Emma Mann Swan. He attended preparatory school at the Groton School.

Yale Swan enrolled at Yale University and played for the Yale Bulldogs football team from 1899 to 1901. Swan was a member of the 1900 Yale team that finished its season with a perfect 13–0 record, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 336 to 10. After Yale ended its season with a 28–0 victory over Harvard, The New York Times wrote that the 1900 Yale team "was without question the strongest team that has been on the field since the Princeton team of 1889."

After graduating as part of Yale's class of 1902, Chadwick agreed to return as the school's head football coach in the fall of 1902. Swan coached the 1902 Yale football team to an 11–0–1 record, outscoring opponents 286 to 22. The 1902 team's only setback came in a 6–6 tie against Army.

During the period from 1899 to 1912, Yale had 14 different head football coaches in 14 years – despite compiling a combined record of 127–11–10 in those years. During that 14-year span, the Yale football team has also been recognized as the national championship team by one or more of the major national championship selectors on seven occasions – 1900 (Billingsley, Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis), 1901 (Parke Davis), 1902 (Parke Davis), 1905 (Parke Davis, Whitney), 1906 (Billingsley, Parke Davis, Whitney), 1907 (Billingsley, Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis, Whitney), and 1909 (Billingsley, Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis).

Investment banking Swan subsequently had a 40-year career in the investment banking field. He began his career with the National Commercial Bank of Albany and became secretary of the Union Trust Company of Albany.

During World War I, Swan served as an officer of the American Red Cross in Europe. When the Guaranty Company was formed in 1920 as a securities firm and subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Company, Swan became a vice president. During the 1920s, he was active in the Investment Bankers Association and served as a member of its Board of Governors. In January 1928, Swan was elected as the president of the Guaranty Company. and became the senior partner of the merged company, Smith Barney & Co. Swan's wife was a founder of the Junior League of New York and a trustee of Bennington College and the Teachers College of Columbia University. She died in April 1965 at the couple's winter home in Florida. Swan died in November 1965 at his home in Boca Grande, Florida.

Head coaching record