Swent (Langan Waterman) papers, 1918-1990

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Summary

Title:
Langan Waterman Swent papers
Dates:
1918-1990
Creators:
Swent, Langan Waterman, 1916-1992
Abstract:
Diaries, 1942-1944, relating to landing craft tank (LCT) operations in the Mediterranean theater during World War II, and especially to the landings at Anzio, including both original diaries and typed transcripts; and reports and protocols of International Labour Organisation meetings, 1968-1970, relating to industrial relations in the mining industry.
Extent:
5 manuscript boxes, 1 videotape (1.9 Linear Feet)
Language:
In English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Langan Waterman Swent diaries, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The bulk of the collection contains Swent's diaries from 1942-1944, while he was serving in the U.S. Navy. The diaries pertain to Swent's participation in landing craft tank (LCT) operations in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II; most notably to the landings at the Battle of Anzio in Italy. The collection includes both original diaries and typed transcripts. After retiring from the U.S. Navy, Swent worked for the Homestake Mining Company. Included in the collection are reports and protocols of a 1968 International Labour Organisation meeting, relating to industrial relations in the mining industry.

The Herz Family Correspondence series consists of letters exchanged between the relatives of Swent's wife Eleanor Martha Swent (nÊe Herz) during WWI and WWII.

The letters have been arranged into two sub-series: Letters from Ellsworth Kimpston (Uncle of Eleanor Swent) to his Sister (and Mother of Eleanor Swent) Janet Herz (Kimpston), Catherine (Sister to Ellsworth), and Mrs. Frank Kimpston (Mother to Ellsworth). These letters describe his time at Fort Logan, Camp Mills, and Fort Winfield Scott, as well as his brief time in France, including Aixe and Chalus during WWI.

Also included in the Herz Family Correspondence series are Letters to Janet Kimpston (Mother of Eleanor Swent) from her Nephew's John Koontz and Freelan Koontz. The Koontz brothers wrote of their time in Fort Ord, Fort Lewis, and the Army War College during WWII.

Biographical / historical:

Lieutenant commander, United States Navy; landing craft tank commander, 1942-1944; subsequently mining company executive.

Langan Waterman Swent 1916-1992
Date Event
1916 November 27
Born
1917
Moved with his parents to San Dimas, Durango, Mexico for his father's mining engineer job
1938
Received B.A. from Stanford University
1940
Received Master's degree from the Mining College from University of Berkeley, California
1941
Received Master's degree in Geology from Harvard University
1941
Joined the U.S. Navy
1941-1942
Attended Midshipmen's School, Great Lakes Naval Training Station at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, spending several months afterward ferrying landing crafts from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to NYC
1942-1944
Served in the naval amphibious forces in the Mediterranean Theater, first as an officer in charge of a landing craft tank (LCT) and then as a commander of a flotilla of LCTs
1945
Stationed at Fort Pierce, Florida, a naval amphibious training base
1945
Released from Navy active duty
1946-1947
Worked for Homestake Mining Company in Lead, South Dakota
1947
Married Eleanor Martha Herz of Lead, North Dakota
1947-1954
Lived in Tayoltita, Mexico and worked for the San Luis Mining Company as a mine foreman and then assistant manager
1957-1959
Worked as the Manager of the New Mexico division of Homestake Mining Company in Grants, New Mexico
1966
Moved to San Francisco and worked for Homestake as their vice president of operations
1968
As President of the California Mining Association, served as the delegate to the International Labour Organisation meeting in Geneva, Switzerland
1983
Retired from his position at Homestake
1992 April 30
Died
Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 1993.
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into five series: Biographical File, Diaries, Herz Family Correspondence, Mining Materials, and Videorecordings. The Diaries are arranged chronologically into Originals and Transcripts. The Herz Family Correspondence series is grouped into three files according to the letter writers, reflecting the donor's original order.

Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Sarah Ainsworth
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-08-19 11:59:54.051656

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Langan Waterman Swent diaries, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
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