February 01, 2002

Charles J. Swindells ’64

2001
Donald G. Balmer Citation
In the years since earning his bachelor’s degree in political science at Lewis & Clark, Charles J. “Butch” Swindells has tirelessly served the College as well as the entire Portland community.

In the years since earning his bachelor’s degree in political science at Lewis & Clark, Charles J. “Butch” Swindells has tirelessly served the College as well as the entire Portland community.

Butch has been a trustee of the College for 16 years, and for the past three years he has served as chairman of the board of trustees. In addition to his board service, Butch has chaired the Aubrey R. Watzek Award jury for the past five years and, during the recent capital campaign that raised more than $75 million, Butch served as cochair.

When Butch was only 26 years old, he cofounded his first investment firm. In 1993 he took another firm that he cofounded, Capital Trust Co., and brokered a strategy to merge it into the powerful U.S. Trust Co. of New York, the oldest trust company in the nation, to create U.S. Trust Co. of the Pacific Northwest.

Most recently, President Bush nominated Butch to serve as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate and was sworn in on September 28. Butch will promote U.S. trade, articulate U.S. policies, and be involved in all aspects of national defense and security issues in the region, as well as carrying responsibility for all U.S. citizens who travel and work in New Zealand and Samoa.