Obituary of Nat Henderson Swann, Jr. M.D.

Dr. Nat Henderson Swann, Jr., a prominent specialist in Internal Medicine in Chattanooga, Tennessee died on December 3, 2020 at the age of 93. He was born in Danville, Virginia, to Nat Henderson Swann Sr. and Mary Chandler Stokes Swann. He was preceded in death by a bother, Allen Stokes Swann, and a son, Nat Henderson Swann, III. Both his great grandfather, Dr. Nat Henderson, a noted surgeon during the Civil War and two of his great-great grandfathers, Dr. Robert Augustine Gordon and Dr. Lancelot Johnston were physicians. Dr. Swann was a veteran of World War II, serving in the US Army Medical Corps and trained as a combat medic. Dr. Swann graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, receiving a BS degree in chemistry. Following this he attained his Doctor of Medicine degree at the School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He served two years residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital in Richmond. He continued his post graduate training as senior resident in medicine at the Tufts University affiliated Huntington Hospital in Boston, Mass. He followed with subspecialties in cardiology and gastroenterology at Crile Hospital, affiliated with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He entered the practice of medicine in Chattanooga in 1958, joining the Newell Clinic group where he remained for 35 years. His scientific works were referred to in various textbooks of medicine. He was the first physician to identify a virus as the cause of certain thyroid diseases. He served as Chief of Staff at Downtown General Hospital and was on the staff of Memorial, Parkridge and Erlanger Hospitals. He was a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Medicine, London, England, and the American College of Physicians as well as the American College of Angiology. He held membership in several medical societies. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award of the American Heart Association. In earlier years he was the Director of Physicians Giving, United Way. He was a Board Speaker for the Air Pollution Control Board and was one of the first physicians to bring the problem of air pollution to the attention of the city officials. He served on the board of the Metropolitan Council and was a board member of the Salvation Army. In past years he served on the boards of the Mountain City Club and Rotary. He was medical consultant for Chattem, Inc. (Sanofi Aventis) for several years. Dr. Swann was also a member of the Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church and he quietly funded many of the charities he supported. He became interested in aviation as a young man and when he was seventeen, he received his solo license to fly. Since a child, he has always been interested in astronomy and in later years he built his own telescope. He established and was President of The Athenian Club, composed of a group of men who presented papers on varying subjects, including art, architecture, literature, science and music. He became an avid tennis player and enjoyed the sport with many of his friends. After retirement, he became interested in golf which he enjoyed with many of his friends at the Signal Mountain Golf and Country Club and elsewhere. After retirement he published short stories, essays and novels and children’s poems. Survivors include his lovely wife of 68 years, Sarah Hayes Swann and his son Wayland Hayes Swann, Sr., daughter in law, Kathleen O’Shaughnessey Swann of Atlanta, five grandchildren, Stokes Robinson Swann (Natalie), Adam Montgomery Swann, Sarah Elizabeth Swann Alvey (Joel), Wayland Hayes Swann, Jr. (Meredith), Margaret Becker Swann, and great grandchildren, Campbell Marie Swann, Jackson Swann and Fletcher Hayes Alvey and several nieces and nephews. A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, at 11:00AM at Forest Hills Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Salvation Army and Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church, Signal Mountain, Tennessee or to a favorite charity. Arrangements are by Wann Funeral Home & Cremation Center. (423) 821-7551 Please share your memories, stories and photos at www.wannfuneralhome.com.