The Stanley Swinton papers include correspondence; dispatch files; notebooks relating to the death of Mussolini, the Malayan insurgency in the late 1940s, and the Indonesian revolutions; notes of interviews with Seni Premot of Thailand, Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, Ho Chi-Minh of Vietnam, Konrad Adenauer of West Germany, Joao Goulart of Brazil, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, and Kim Jong Pil of South Korea. The bulk of Swinton's writings will be found in the collection, either in draft or in clippings of his articles. The series in the collection are Correspondence; Newspaper career; Writings, speeches, etc.; Personal and miscellaneous; Photographs; and Printed Material.
Stanley Mitchell Swinton was born September 1, 1919 in Charlevoix, Michigan He began his journalism career by working as a reporter--before graduating to editor-in-chief-- for the Broadcaster, the newspaper for University High School in Ann Arbor. He wrote his first professional news story at the age of 15 and sold it for $1 to the Detroit Free Press. This first journalistic victory cemented his desire to become a journalist.
The son of University of Michigan Engineering Mechanics Professor Roy Swinton, Stanley Swinton attended the University of Michigan and earned his B.A. in 1940. While a student, he held two jobs: one as city editor of the Michigan Daily, the other working for the Detroit Free Press. Swinton also wrote short stories and won the prestigious Hopwood award. On graduation day, he attended the ceremonies in the morning and began working as an editor for the Associated Press that very afternoon. At the onset of World War II, he took military leave and worked as a front-line combat correspondent in North Africa, Italy, and southern France, writing for the Stars and Stripes, a newspaper published for American GI's overseas. After the war, he continued his work as an AP correspondent. In 1947-1948, he was named chief of bureau for Southeast Asia and in 1948-1950 for the Middle East. In the 1950s he married the former Helen Rhodes Meek of Scarsdale, NY and together they raised three sons. Swinton continued his rise through the ranks of the Associated Press and was named vice president, assistant general manager and director of World Services in 1972.
Swinton's career spans the years of intense conflict throughout the world and his papers provide insightful commentary on world events. He met and interviewed military rebels, presidents, religious leaders, prime ministers, sports and entertainment figures, and VIPs throughout the world. In 1950, he managed to get expelled from Egypt by King Farouk when he disclosed that Farouk planned to make the fiancée of a young Egyptian commoner his Queen against her will. Among his most famous stories is an eyewitness account of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini hanging by his heels in a Milan square. In addition, he has interviewed Ho Chi-Minh, Ferdinand Marcos, the Shah of Iran, and Indira Gandhi. Swinton became a specialist on news media problems in third world countries and worked at many international conferences to improve relations between developing countries and the United States. His byline appeared in more than 100 countries.
Stanley Swinton remained with the Associated Press until he died of cancer August 29, 1982.
