Charles Justin Swigert ’61

Renowned research scientist and community leader Charlie Swigert died of idiopathic anemia on July 8, 1999, at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Born and raised in Evanston, Ill, C.J. set his sights on a career in engineering early on. He came to Princeton from Evanston H.S., graduating cum laude in EE and then earning an MA in aeronautical engineering at Michigan and a PhD in biomedical/electronic engineering and computer science at Berkeley. After lecturing at Berkeley for several years, he entered the business world and ran his own company, Electromag, until his death, earning several patents along the way for his inventions.

At Princeton, C.J. was a member of Campus and was involved with WPRB and the Princeton Outing Club. He was the best man for, and friend of 49 years of, Pierce Selwood.

In 1974, C.J. married Karen Struebing, who survives him with their children, Justin, a senior at UC Santa Barbara, and Laurel, who is at Wheaton College in Illinois. His mother, brother, and sister also survive him. We join his survivors in their sadness.

The Class of 1961