Spring Break
Former professor dead at 78
Joe Swan dedicated life to journalism program, others
Kate Taylor
Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: News
Joe Swan, former SJSU photojournalism professor, died Sunday at 9:30 p.m. of renal failure.
He was 78 years old.
"He was a great person," said Swan's granddaughter Chelsea Gorman.
Originally from Texas, Swan joined a journalism program with the Army after two years of college at Howard Payne University and later returned to school and graduated with a degree in English.
He moved to San Jose with his wife, Laura, where he started teaching journalism courses in reporting and editing and photojournalism as well as the yearbook class at SJSU in 1962.
During his 31 years at SJSU, three of Swan's students went on to win Pulitzer Prizes.
Debbie Gorman, Swan's daughter, said Swan was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in his early 40s.
After having his legs amputated in the past four months and spending less than one month on dialysis, a kidney filtration process, Gorman said Swan decided to stop dialysis.
"The one thing he had left that he wanted was to get home," she said referring to the months her father spent in the hospital. "He just needed to be here."
Jim Noah, Swan's best friend and former SJSU director of public relations, shared an office in Dwight Bentel Hall that he said was "the biggest office either of us had ever had."
Noah said Swan's family and friends expected him to live only one or two weeks after he stopped dialysis.
"It was six weeks ago today (Jan. 28) he had his last dialysis treatment," Noah said. "The important thing is that he was home. He had been away from home for 10 months - going home really gave him a lift of spirit."
Debbie Gorman, Swan's daughter, said he was surrounded by his family all weekend, including Dwight Bentel, founder of SJSU's school of journalism in 1934, who visited Swan on Sunday before he died.
"We had a whole extra month," she said, "which was great for him and for us."
Noah said that given the circumstances of Swan's condition, he was doing well until Thursday.
Gorman said the additional time allowed her father to see his family and many of his former students and colleagues.
"Lasting as long as he did gave a lot of people a chance to tell them how much he cared about them," Noah said.
Swan had enjoyed the constantly busy house and all of his visitors during the past six weeks, Gorman said.
"We spent half our lives together," Noah said. "I'm going to miss that old man."
Click here to read a profile of Swan from the Feb 20. Spartan Daily.
He was 78 years old.
"He was a great person," said Swan's granddaughter Chelsea Gorman.
Originally from Texas, Swan joined a journalism program with the Army after two years of college at Howard Payne University and later returned to school and graduated with a degree in English.
He moved to San Jose with his wife, Laura, where he started teaching journalism courses in reporting and editing and photojournalism as well as the yearbook class at SJSU in 1962.
During his 31 years at SJSU, three of Swan's students went on to win Pulitzer Prizes.
Debbie Gorman, Swan's daughter, said Swan was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in his early 40s.
After having his legs amputated in the past four months and spending less than one month on dialysis, a kidney filtration process, Gorman said Swan decided to stop dialysis.
"The one thing he had left that he wanted was to get home," she said referring to the months her father spent in the hospital. "He just needed to be here."
Jim Noah, Swan's best friend and former SJSU director of public relations, shared an office in Dwight Bentel Hall that he said was "the biggest office either of us had ever had."
Noah said Swan's family and friends expected him to live only one or two weeks after he stopped dialysis.
"It was six weeks ago today (Jan. 28) he had his last dialysis treatment," Noah said. "The important thing is that he was home. He had been away from home for 10 months - going home really gave him a lift of spirit."
Debbie Gorman, Swan's daughter, said he was surrounded by his family all weekend, including Dwight Bentel, founder of SJSU's school of journalism in 1934, who visited Swan on Sunday before he died.
"We had a whole extra month," she said, "which was great for him and for us."
Noah said that given the circumstances of Swan's condition, he was doing well until Thursday.
Gorman said the additional time allowed her father to see his family and many of his former students and colleagues.
"Lasting as long as he did gave a lot of people a chance to tell them how much he cared about them," Noah said.
Swan had enjoyed the constantly busy house and all of his visitors during the past six weeks, Gorman said.
"We spent half our lives together," Noah said. "I'm going to miss that old man."
Click here to read a profile of Swan from the Feb 20. Spartan Daily.
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