During World War II, Schwada served in the Army Air Forces and rose to the rank of captain.
During this time, he received a grant from the Ford Foundation to study the development of teaching material in the field of international relations.
[4] He was the 15th chief executive of the Columbia campus and the first to bear the title chancellor after the creation of the four-school University of Missouri System.
Schwada supervised the construction of new athletic venues including the University Activity Center and Packard Stadium, and during his tenure ASU joined the Pacific-10 Conference.
During Schwada's decade as president, ASU awarded more degrees than it had in its entire previous history.