Community pillar continues support through community service
Posted on Monday, October 6, 2008
BROOKE McNEELY Northwest Arkansas Times Loyd Swope stands in Lincoln’s downtown square during the town’s annual Arkansas Apple Festival. Swope helped start the festival 33 years ago.
Retired local banker Loyd Swope served as the grand marshal in this year's rain-delayed Arkansas Apple Festival parade Saturday in Lincoln.
Swope's involvement in the Apple Festival goes back to the former Lincoln City Cafe, where a few local leaders decided to start the city's first festival in 1976. Federal grant funding available to celebrate the nation's bicentennial served as seed money for the Apple Festival.
Prairie Grove's nearby Clothesline Fair drew big crowds each year. Swope and others wanted something similar in Lincoln. This vision has translated into a successful annual event.
Swope, who served as president of the Bank of Lincoln for 27 years until the bank sold in 2001, often fielded requests from local civic and church groups for support of projects and events of all types. Almost anyone who has lived in west Washington County very long knows him simply as Loyd. He always tried to help the things he believed were good for the community, local officials said. "If the local bank is not involved, it's not going to happen," Swope said.
School supporter Swope has long been a supporter of public schools. His wife, Carole, taught Spanish in Prairie Grove schools. She also served on the Lincoln school board for 15 years. Their two sons graduated from Lincoln.
Lincoln Superintendent Frank Holman said that he always knew that he could count on Swope and the Bank of Lincoln. Holman worked in Lincoln for 16 years as a coach, teacher, principal and eventually superintendent during the 1980 s and 1990 s.
"I found Loyd to be a real thinker, practical person and a problem solver. He was interested in having a better community, schools and standard of living for all of our citizens," Swope said. "Loyd can always be counted on to do whatever it takes to help Lincoln and the area. He is a real community person with a zeal and focus for improvements for the future. "When Holman returned to Lincoln in 2007, he turned to Swope for advice. "Loyd was one of the first people I visited with when I returned to Lincoln, and we discussed the district master planning, district vision for the future... "he said. Swope said he never wanted to serve on the school board because his office along the city's square would have been too convenient to people who wanted to vent about school issues, which would have distracted from his duties at the bank. Besides, his wife was a good school board member, he said. Instead, he served county government.
Longtime JP Swope was elected to the Washington County Quorum Court in 1977, after the role of the justice of the peace was changed by Amendment 55. The number of countywide justices of the peace was reduced from more than 100 to 13 and their role became much more important.
Swope's banking background landed him as the Finance Committee chairman during his 14 years on the Quorum Court. He was known for looking at the big picture.
Former Washington County Judge Charles Johnson said that Swope was informed, respected and knowledgeable.
"He was a big help on anything we had to do where we borrowed money or increased millages or purchased something," Johnson said.
"He was a real solid Quorum Court member and was respected by the other members," Johnson said. "When he offered an opinion, it carried a lot of weight on the court."
"He came by the courthouse frequently when he was in Fayetteville. He stayed well abreast of what was going on in the county," he said.
Washington County Treasurer Roger Haney, who served as the county administrator during Johnson's tenure, agreed that Swope proved to be a good JP.
"Loyd was a great Quorum Court member because he had his district at heart and also the whole county," Haney said. "He saw the county as a whole and tended to legislate that way.
Haney said Swope helped the county modernize its budgeting process and was very supportive in solving problems they had at the time. Community involvement Swope believes that community involvement is important and that it should start early with groups like the Boy Scouts and 4-H, he said.
"I think its real important. You have to be pushed a little," he said.
Swope has been involved in leadership positions in practically every organization he's been actively involved in.
Some of the organizations he has helped lead in the past include the Lincoln Kiwanis Club, Arkansas Bankers Association, the Old State House Museum board of directors, Washington County Fair Board and the Apple Festival. He is a lifetime member of the American Legion.
Swope found it rewarding to help facilitate local projects and community development. He was instrumental in bringing a doctor and veterinarian to the community. In 1980 he helped start the Lincoln Community Scholarship program, after learning Siloam Springs had a similar program.
He still involved in many organizations. He is on the board of directors of the Fayetteville Rotary Club, Central Emergency Medical Service, the Garrison Financial Institute at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas and Friends of the Battlefield Park. He is treasurer for the Friends of Lake Wedington.
He is the county's appointee on the newly formed Washington County Regional Ambulance Authority.
He serves on the vestry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville.
"Some of the nicest, friendliest people I've ever been associated with go there," Swope said.
He helped local leaders raise $ 100, 000 in local funds to expand the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park during the 1990 s. The Bank of Lincoln's $ 25, 000 donation encouraged others to dig deep. Federal, state and private grants were easier to get after the community proved it could raise so much matching money, officials said. "For a small town to raise that much money was pretty significant," Swope said. " "I just thought that it was too good an opportunity to pass up. "Swope was appointed by Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe to serve on the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park Advisory Commission through 2012.
Longtime banker Swope is no longer involved in the daily management of a bank, but he serves on the board of directors of Springdale-based Legacy National Bank, where his son, Patrick, is an executive vice president.
Swope's banking career began after he graduated from the University of Arkansas and went to work for First National Bank in Fayetteville. He left as vice president at First National for Lakewood Bank and Trust in Dallas, where he served as senior vice president before coming to Lincoln in 1974. The Bank of Lincoln grew from $ 10 to $ 71 million during his leadership.
He's seen hard times before, even if many of today's young bankers have not.
The current downturn in the real estate market came as no big surprise to Swope because he's seen the same thing before back in the 1980 's. He's not sure the real estate market and the national economy have seen the bottom yet.
"This will be a tremendous learning experience for some young bankers," Swope said. "The biggest difference between now and the 80 's are a bunch of zeros. Back then (the loan losses were ) $ 100, 000, now it's millions. " ' Focus on the positive' He said that he gives a lot of credit to his wife Carole for helping him and supporting him in his many ventures over the years.
They are both busy these days, but they do more than volunteer work. They love to go hiking, trail riding and traveling.
"We don't let the grass grow under our feet," he said. "I've tried to stay busy and focus on the positive."
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
