[1] He served with the British Army during World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and being Mentioned in Dispatches.

His proposers were James Ritchie, John Gaddum, Sir Maurice Yonge and Harold Callan.

[7] During his term as principal, he encountered difficulty with students led by Gordon Brown, who had unusually been elected as rector of the university.

[10] He was chairman of the governors of the BBC from 1973 to 1980 having been appointed by Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath, who admired his strong leadership during student protests at Edinburgh University.

[11] He was created a life peer as Baron Swann, of Coln St Denys in the County of Gloucestershire on 16 February 1981.

[12][13] In 1980 Swann became Provost of Oriel College,[14] although he resigned after nine months,[15] and was also Chancellor of the University of York from 1979 until his death.