Bradford V. Swing – 50th Reunion Essay

Bradford V. Swing

College: Timothy Dwight

Over the past 50 years, I’ve had the good fortune to see three different Yales. There was the all-male Yale of our time; the tricentennial, coeducational Yale of my daughter Morgan (1998–2002); and the sports Yale as I watched my son Dalton play soccer and baseball against Yale teams in New Haven (2006–2010). I missed out on coeducation and sports while at Yale, so the Yale as seen through my children was like attending Yale anew. I enjoyed each of the three experiences.

My Yale fundamentally altered my life. I met my wife Dale there, more specifically at a round table in the dining room of Timothy Dwight during sophomore year at spring weekend dinner in 1967. She hooked me right then and there. Around the same time, an acquaintance from high school days on Florida’s Space Coast who went to Yale a year ahead of me became a best friend, with whom I later practiced law and with whom I remain close to this day. And thanks to all my Yale friends and professors, my political, social, and philosophic views, and whatever intellectual interests and skills I might have, evolved into basically what they are today (although I hope they have become a little more refined). Sure, there were some dark moments during the four years, but I am grateful for all that I gained.

My daughter’s Yale was a much different place. Although Morgan’s college career started with a family meal at the very same round table where I met my wife, her Yale experience was radically different than mine. Now that Yale had accepted women as students, a major improvement I believe, college life seemed more realistic and even brighter. Some of the basics of my Yale remained, but some of the less pleasant aspects I experienced had disappeared. I was a little envious. Fortunately, however, Morgan spent three years in much the same physical surroundings of TD that my wife and I had experienced until, in Morgan’s senior year, everyone from TD was moved to temporary quarters known as The Swing Space while the college was refurbished. (No, it was not named after our family, but Morgan had fun with the coincidence.) She got a taste of the old Yale while having much of the new.

The Yale my son Dalton visited to play against Yale teams on the sports fields was yet a different Yale, at least to Morgan and me. We were not athletes, but Dalton introduced us to a whole new aspect of life at Yale, albeit as a visitor and adversary of Yale teams. I was somewhat conflicted about which team deserved my support, but, of course, Dalton is my son. Nonetheless, seeing this aspect of Yale through his eyes made me wish I could have played his sports during my time there. It looked like fun.

It would be nice to see yet another Yale through the eyes of a grandchild. Maybe, just maybe.