Edwin Burnham Swope (May 6, 1888 – December 26, 1955), nicknamed "Cowboy", was the second

warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically identic ...

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known simply as Alcatraz (, ''"the gannet"'') or The Rock was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States, the site of a ...

, which was situated on

Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is a small island in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military pri ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, US. He was a native of New Mexico, having been born at Santa Fe in 1888. His earlier posts as warden included

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

State Prison, Washington State's

McNeil Island McNeil Island is an island in the northwest United States in south Puget Sound, located southwest of Tacoma, Washington. With a land area of , it lies just north of Anderson Island; Fox Island is to the north, across Carr Inlet, and to the ...

Federal Penitentiary, and the Federal Penitentiary at Terre Haute, Indiana. Swope served at Alcatraz from 1948 to 1955. A member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, Swope was Chairman of the City Commission of

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

from February 1923 through February 1925. He was appointed Commissioner of Public Lands by New Mexico Governor Arthur T. Hannett.

Warden of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary

Swope was the last political appointee to serve as Alcatraz's warden, and the only Alcatraz warden who did not have an escape attempt while serving in that role. He and his wife lived in the Warden's House on Alcatraz Island. He was described as having a soft voice, gray hair, and wore

rimless eyeglasses Rimless eyeglasses are a type of eyeglasses in which the lenses are mounted directly to the bridge and/or temples. The style is divided into two subtypes: three-piece glasses are composed of lenses mounted to a bridge and two separate temple arms ...

. His fashion style of

sombrero A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the w ...

cowboy boots Cowboy boots are a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a high heel that is traditionally made of stacked leather, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing. Cowboy boots are normally m ...

, and rings and

belt buckle A belt buckle is a buckle, a clasp for fastening two ends, such as of straps or a belt, in which a device attached to one of the ends is fitted or coupled to the other. The word enters Middle English via Old French and the Latin ''buccula' ...

s of turquoise bore out his southwest heritage. Swope was approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall, and of slender build. He was a fan of horse racing. In his first 18 months as warden, Swope introduced painting and a prisoners' orchestra as reform measures. He was a strict disciplinarian but unlike his predecessor, James A. Johnston, he was considered the most disliked warden of Alcatraz with his officers and the inmates. He once said, in response to an inmate who complained to him on the recreation yard about his term of 199 years, which was really a life sentence, "My boy, we're all doing life. Every one of us is doing life." In 1950, Swope brought movies to the Alcatraz, which were viewed in the chapel every other weekend, although at some stage movies were shown in the auditorium above the dining room.Bruce (2012), p. 134 At the age of 66, he resigned from his post at Alcatraz on January 21, 1955, shortly before his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swope, Edwin B. 1888 births 1955 deaths American prison wardens New Mexico Commissioners of Public Lands Politicians from Santa Fe, New Mexico Wardens of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary 20th-century American politicians