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Who is your favorite TCU football player?
Davey O’Brien who won the Heisman Trophy way “back when” would certainly be considered one of TCU’s best. Davey was
also a class act as a gentleman and “great guy.” Davey was a geology major and student of my father’s, and would sometimes
Third Generation come over to the Hewatt house on Lowden and sit on the porch swing to visit with the family. That was when I was a baby.

Of course, TCU basketball I can speak about with more first-hand knowledge. My favorite player in that sport would have to
Horned Frog: be Johnny Swaim, whom I married and who was starting guard on three consecutive Southwest Conference championship
teams and later, as Head Coach (1970-1977) led his charges to two Southwest Conference titles in the early 1970s.

Joan Swaim Do you have a favorite book?
I don’t like to play the favorite game, but some of my favorite authors have been and are Shakespeare, Thomas Mann, William
Faulkner, Herman Melville, John Steinbeck, Rachel Carson, William Least Heat-Moon, John Graves, Winston Churchill, Barbara
Kingsolver, and many others.

Some of the best times of Joan Swaim’s life have been spent in What is the highlight of your time working at the library? What do you enjoy doing these days?
the company of Horned Frogs. Her love for Texas Christian The highlight of my time at the library was when we brought I enjoy reading, writing, genealogical research, crafts, including weaving, dyeing, sewing, jewelry making, painting, and observing
University can be traced directly back to her grandparents, up the first integrated on-line catalog, giving justification wildlife, especially birds from my lakeside porch. Travel used to be a favorite thing, but I don’t do much of that anymore.
Frank and Georgia Harris, who arrived at TCU in 1921 to be and validation to the long years of hard, dedicated work by
the stewards of the first TCU cafeteria, and her parents who the library staff in building a computerized database of the For more personal recollections, visit JoanHewattSwaim.com
were TCU graduates, faculty and staff Dr. Willis G. Hewatt library’s holdings upon which the online system was based.
and Elizabeth Harris Hewatt. Dr. Hewatt was a member of
the biology/geology faculty for 41 years and her mother was Were your parents married in the Mary Couts Burnett
secretary in the department for most of those years. Joan literally Library?
grew up on campus, is a TCU graduate who married Johnny They were one of two couples to marry there, the other being Ask Them Anything At Anytime
Swaim, also a TCU graduate, basketball player and later, head that of Jerome and Ruby Moore; Moore later became the
basketball coach. Dean of AddRan College of Arts and Sciences, and my father
started his 41-year career as biology professor at TCU the year
The third generation of her family to be on the university staff, I was born. These weddings took place in the MCLB because
Joan retired in 1995 as coordinator of bibliographic control for the denomination to which the couples belonged was the
the Mary Couts Burnett Library after 18 years. She is also the Disciples of Christ (Christian Church), which did not have a
author of Walking TCU: A Historical Perspective, a book filled church building on the TCU hill in 1931 when my Mother and
with fond memories of TCU. Daddy married. Church services were held in the auditorium
of the Ad Building, the ambiance of which did not lend itself
Any favorite TCU memories? to festive occasions. The main room of the library, however,
My memories of TCU begin at about age 3 and continue to was very beautiful, somewhat as it is now (this is the Gearhart
now. That includes childhood memories, teenage memories, my Reading Room today). The room seemed ideal, and as the
student days memories, memories of being a faculty daughter bride and groom were a part of the TCU family, and most
and a TCU coach’s wife, TCU students’ mom, a library staff of the guests would be TCU folk, it made sense to hold the
member and a TCU alumna and retiree. My personal journey wedding on the TCU campus. The officiating minister was the
through TCU history for the last 80 plus years has been President of the University, E. M. Waits (affectionately known
wonderful. as “Prexy).

What is the biggest change at TCU you have seen? Any known history or TCU stories you find interesting?
That would have to do with size. My earliest recollection of the I think the story of Mary Couts Burnett is one of the most
TCU campus -- about the late 1930s -- is of the seven buildings interesting and important stories in the history of TCU.
that occupied the “west” campus: Jarvis, the Administration Two other stories of people whom I looked up to in my
Building (now Reed Hall), Clark Hall (where Sadler now stands), childhood and early teens and who are generally regarded as
Goode Hall (where Clark now stands), the gym (now the Lowe TCU heroes are those of L. C. Wright (“Mr. Pete”) and E. M.
ballet building), Brite College of the Bible (now the Bailey Waits (“Prexy”). Mr. Pete’s personal sacrifices to bolster the
Building), and the football stadium. And on the “east” campus institution during financial crises were well-known, working
was the original Mary Couts Burnett Library, built in 1925. one year without benefit of salary and, along with his president
After World War II, additional land was acquired and buildings E. M. Waits, “walking the streets to meet the TCU payroll.”
began popping up all over, which continues to this day with more E.M. Waits led the school through the Depression years
to come. between 1929 and mid-‘30s.

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