Randolph County, West Virginia Biography: Dr. Benjamin Harrison SWINT ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , March 2000 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 347 DR. BENJAMIN HARRISON SWINT is primarily a surgeon, a young man with unusual abilities and talents in that field, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is surgeon- in-chief at St. Francis Hospital. A native of West Virginia, he was born in Randolph County in 1888, son of Peter and Caroline (Winkler) Swint. His grandfather and earlier ancestors were natives of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. Peter Swint was an early set- tler in Randolph County, and is now living at Weston. A brother of Doctor Swint is C. P. Swint, a leading law- yer in Weston and a man of considerable prominence in public and political affairs. Another brother is a distin- guished Catholic prelate, the Rt. Rev. J. J. Swint, of Wes- ton, who formerly conducted missions in various section of the state and who is now Bishop of Wheeling. Benjamin Harrison Swint had his common school educa- tion, attended Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, and ac- quired his medical training in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore, where he graduated in 1911. He did three years' of post-graduate work in St. Joseph's Hospital, Baltimore, and in the meantime, in 1913, established him- self in practice at Charleston. It can hardly be said that he has been in the general practice of medicine at all, since practically from the first his abilities have been widely rec- ognized as a surgeon. His membership in the American College of Surgeons is a token of distinctive work in sur- gery, since fellowship in this organization is a very high professional distinction. His fellowship was conferred upon him at Montreal in October, 1920. Doctor Swint was absent from Charleston for a period of service during the World war. He took training in the Medical Corps Training Camp at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, during 1918, and for eight months was on duty in France, going overseas with Surgical Group No. 3, and later was with the surgical staff at base hospital No. 119. He held rank of first lieutenant, and received his honorable dis- charge in July, 1919. The St. Francis Hospital at Charleston, of which Doctor Swint is chief of the surgical service, was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis, but is now operated under the aus- pices of the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was opened January 1, 1914, with a capacity of twenty beds. In 1916 a mod- ern addition was built at a cost of about $80,000, increas- ing the capacity to about sixty-five beds. A further addi- tion soon to be completed will give the hospital a capacity of 110 beds. Ever since this hospital was opened in the old Laidley residence on Laidley Street it has been taxed to full capacity, with more applications than could be accom- modated. Doctor Swint is a member of the Phi Chi fraternity, member of the County, State and American Medical Asso- ciations, and is a prominent member of the Knights of Co- lumbus, at the present time being head of the local assem- bly of the Fourth Degree. He is also district chairman for Southern West Virginia of the National Catholic Welfare Council. He married Miss Marcellene Smith, of Charleston. Their three children are Benjamin H., Jr., Caroline Marie and Bernice.