LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Charles B. Swain, long-time
Greene County minorities historian, distinguished citizen and devoted
member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Charles B. Swain of Catskill, New York died on Sunday, Decem-
ber 22, 2013, at the age of 73; and
WHEREAS, Charles B. Swain distinguished himself in his profession and
by his sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of
his community; and
WHEREAS, Charles B. Swain was a passionate historian who worked hard
to shine light on the contributions of minorities in Greene County; a
Catskill native, he was appointed in 1975; after lobbying hard for it,
he became the first minorities historian in New York State, a position
he held for almost 40 years; and
WHEREAS, As minorities historian, one of Charles B. Swain's first
accomplishments was organizing the Greene County Black Cultural Festival
in 1978; part of that effort involved gathering and documenting the
history and contributions of blacks in Greene County; and
WHEREAS, Charles B. Swain had a particular interest in documenting and
teaching about the accomplishments of African Americans in the Civil
War; he was an avid reenactor, often dressing up as a Buffalo Soldier at
Civil War reenactments, in part to honor his grandfather who was an
actual Buffalo Soldier, a member of the United States Cavalry formed in
1866 by the United States Army; and
WHEREAS, One year, Charles B. Swain organized a popular all-black
rodeo in Cairo, New York, which raised a significant amount for churches
in Coxsackie and Cairo; and
WHEREAS, This remarkable man was a 26-year veteran of the United
States Marine Corps; he also worked in the New York State Department of
Corrections and the National Parks Service; and
WHEREAS, Charles B. Swain is survived by his son, Charles A. Swain;
and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Charles B. Swain leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Charles B. Swain, long-time Greene County minorities
historian, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Charles B. Swain.