Chuck & Nita Swartz

Chuck and Nita Swartz met on a golf course in Carlsbad, New Mexico after being set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. At the time, Chuck was a mathematics professor at New Mexico State University (NMSU), and Nita was teaching in Carlsbad. She was skeptical at first. “I thought mathematicians were boring,” Nita told her friends. But she soon learned that she and Chuck were the perfect equation, and 52 years later they still share a lifelong love for education, travel, golf, and compassion for others.

Elements of a set

Chuck was born in Enid, Oklahoma and grew up in the dusty, hot climes of the American southwest. After earning his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Phillips University, his master’s from Kansas State and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, New Mexico State University was a natural choice as his first teaching job. He ended up staying at NMSU for over 50 years, eventually becoming NMSU professor emeritus from the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

Nita was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico into a long line of educators (her father was one of 12 children, most of whom became teachers). It was natural for her to pursue a degree in Education from NMSU, which she received in 1967. After she and Chuck were married, Nita went on to teach fourth grade and middle school math in the Las Cruces Public School system for 12 years and the Gadsden School system for 6 years. Adding her years teaching in Carlsbad, Denver, and Tucson, she taught for 28 years in all.

While they had no children of their own, they welcomed several of Chuck’s students into their home as family. Students from Poland and Germany, and university visitors from Russia and China – thousands of miles away from home and country – discovered that Chuck and Nita were eager to provide them with a safe and comfortable environment to flourish in. They shared their stories, experiences, and cuisine, creating even stronger bonds that gave them a chance to explore a new culture and make lasting memories with the Swartzs.

The calculus of caring

“It always touched us that these students were working so hard to make it through school while balancing family and work,” Nita shares. She tears up thinking about some of the students they supported. They had a soft spot for graduate students, many of whom were struggling to make ends meet. Nita would save receipts from Albertson’s to purchase sets of dinnerware for the students, even asking fellow teachers at her school to pitch in. “They started a box in the teacher’s breakroom called ‘Nita’s Stamps,’” she remembers.

Between welcoming students for home-cooked meals, offering a place to stay and even lending wardrobe help (Polish students are not used to the hot Las Cruces summers and wool suits are rarely needed), Chuck and Nita became active supporters of their students – and the community. Nita joined P.E.O., a philanthropic educational organization committed to helping women pursue higher education and became an ardent supporter of women in STEM fields. She and Chuck were also active supporters of the Las Cruces Symphony, and Nita served on its Board of Directors and as President of the Board.

“The greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of education,” says Nita. “The least we can do is give these graduate students a little help.”

The greatest common factor

Nita and Chuck began thinking about setting up several scholarships and a professorship once their careers were winding down and an investment in Las Cruces real estate began to pay off. “We wanted to find ways to use our earnings to help others,” Chuck remembers.

Naturally, they wanted to help students who focused on teaching and mathematics. They split their contributions evenly, establishing the Charles Swartz Endowed Scholarship in Mathematics and the Nita Swartz Endowed Scholarship in Arts and Sciences.

In 2019, they set up the first endowed professorship in mathematical sciences at NMSU. The professorship funds research activities, salary enhancements, and other scholarly expenses. The NMSU Mathematics Department is responsible for many milestones. It produced the first president of the university (Hiram Hadley), played a major role in transforming NMSU from an agricultural college into a full spectrum university, and generated NMSU’s first female Ph.D., Carol Walker, who later became chair of the department and Assistant Dean for Arts and Sciences. Mathematics was one of the strongest research departments at the university, turning NMSU into a Carnegie Research Doctoral University.

“The people in the Math department are doing such a phenomenal job,” Chuck says. “We want to increase its prestige and invest in its faculty and students by showing our confidence in the program.”

Giving back pays dividends

Earlier this year, Chuck and Nita went one step further and set up a charitable gift annuity (CGA) through the NMSU Foundation using their assets, making them eligible to take a partial tax deduction for their donation. The CGA gives them a fixed stream of income from the Foundation for the rest of their lives, and upon their passing, the NMSU Math Department will receive the remainder of their gift. “It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Chuck says.

Imagine their pride in seeing graduate students like Tingting Tong thriving as future educators. Born and raised in a small village in China, Tingting is working on her Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences at NMSU, and her love of teaching is evident. “She is delightful, and hopefully her enthusiasm will continue,” Nita says. Tingting is passionate about her students, wants to make learning interesting, and cares about helping others find ways to solve problems. If that’s what teachers can do as educators, then the world will be a better place.

While they are still active in supporting the Aggies, traveling, and playing golf, the Swartzes are rediscovering their joy in passing along a love for teaching and mathematics. And with the contributions they have made to NMSU, the simple formula of inspired giving is as easy as 1-2-3.

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