U.S. Congressman

Dr. Joe Schwarz

John J.H. “Joe” Schwarz received his undergraduate degree in history from the University of Michigan in 1959, and his medical degree from Wayne State University in 1964.

Dr. Schwarz served his residency in otolaryngology at Harvard, finishing in 1974. He has been in private practice in Battle Creek, Michigan for 37 years.

Joe Schwarz served in Southeast Asia for five years, first with the U.S. Navy in Vietnam and as Assistant Naval Attaché in Indonesia. He then served with the Central Intelligence Agency in Laos and in Vietnam. Dr. Schwarz was a City Commissioner then Mayor of Battle Creek, from 1979 until 1986. He was in the Michigan Senate from 1987 until 2002, serving as President Pro Tempore of the Senate from 1993 until 2002. From 2005 to 2007 he was a Member of Congress.

Dr. Schwarz was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan from 2004 until 2006, and serves on numerous boards and commissions. As a lecturer at the Ford School, he teaches Topics in Public Policy: Congress and State Legislatures.

Interviewed by Bill Ballenger
92 Minutes, July 8, 2016