Lance Swann, long-time CSC exec, dead at 78

Lance Swann, who spent 33 years as an executive for Computer Sciences Corp., died Sept. 29, 2017 after a long battle with prostate cancer.

Swann was 78 years old. He was vice president of government relations for CSC when he retired in 2009.

His wife, Elaine Dauphin is a former vice president of civil for CSC.

“Lance had the unique talent to understand the complexities of the technologies that the company was offering, while at the same time being able to translate these benefits to Capitol Hill staffers and representatives,” said Austin Yerks, another long-time CSC executive.

CSC's public sector business grew from about $150 million in annual revenue to $7 billion when he retired.

“He never took the lead credit for his successes, but we all knew that without his direct council and leadership CSC would have never done so well,” Yerks said.

Swann was born on Oct. 11, 1938 in Canton, Ohio, and graduated from Hoover High School. He attended the University of Michigan but left to join the Army in 1957 as a paratrooper in the 1st Airborne Battle Group, according to his obituary posted on the Washington Post's website.

After active duty, he received a scholarship to Wittenberg University and won a three-year NASA graduate fellowship to study flight science and engineering at Columbia University as part of a combined program. He received a master’s degree of science in engineering from Columbia and a bachelor’s degree in math and physics from Wittenberg.

Swann worked for IBM for four years before he launched own technology consulting company in New Orleans.

He was active with the Republican Party and was an advance man for the Nixon campaign. After the election, he became director of special projects at the General Services Administration.

At GSA, he developed the method for selling 3 million Carson City silver dollars, which were minted during the Abraham Lincoln administration to encourage Nevada to join the Union Army. The coins were never circulated.

Swann coined the slogan, “The Coins Jesse James Never Got.”

Also at GSA he developed the regulations for how the Watergate tapes would be released to the public.

After Nixon left office, Swann joined CSC in 1976.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by seven children and 15 grandchildren.

A service will be held Nov. 25 in Chevy Chase, Md. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that gifts be ade to the Georgetown Comprehensive Cancer Clinic.