George E. Sweazey papers

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1905, George E. Sweazey graduated from Westminster College in Missouri in 1927 and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1930. He earned the M.A. degree from Princeton University (also in 1930) and the Ph.D. degree from the University of Berlin in 1931.

Dr. Sweazey was ordained to the ministry of the Presbyterian Church in 1932 and served pastorates at the Old First Church in Newark, NJ (1932); the Second Presbyterian Church in Danville, KY (1932-39); the Tyler Place Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, MO (1939-45); the Huguenot Memorial Church in Pelham, NY (1953-59); and the Webster Groves Presbyterian Church, also in St. Louis (1959-71). From 1945 through 1953 he was the Secretary for evangelism of the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church. In 1969 he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church USA, the denomination's highest elected office. He joined the Princeton Seminary faculty as professor of homiletics in 1971, a position from which he retired in 1975, when he was named professor emeritus. He was guest professor at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, for one year. In retirement, he served many interim pastorates in Presbyterian churches across the country and was asked to speak at many important and varied conferences around the world. Dr. Sweazey served on the board of trustees of Princeton Seminary from 1958 until 1971; he also served as a trustee of Lindenwood College in St. Charles, MO. He received honorary degrees from Westminster College in Missouri (1939), Grove City College (1948), Waynesburg College (1970), Westminster College in Utah (1970), Lindenwood College (1970), and Centre College (1971).