Dr. William J. Swart is a skilled physician and surgeon of Schenectady who has there practiced his profession since 1912, following fourteen years' service as a medical missionary in Siam. His home is at No. 1015 State street, where he also maintains his office. He was born in Schenectady county, New York, on the 19th of July, 1873, his parents being William and Charlotte Ann (Cramer) Swart, who were natives of the same county. The father spent his life on the farm on which he was born and throughout his active career devoted his time and energies to its further cultivation. He gained an extensive and favorable acquaintance throughout the community, so that his demise in September, 1921, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret. His widow, who resides in Schenectady, has also won a large circle of friends in the section which has always been her home. The ancestral record of the family can be traced back to the year 1600.
William J. Swart acquired his early education in the rural schools of Schenectady county and afterward continued his studies in the Union Classical Institute of Schenectady. He next entered upon preparation for a professional career as a student in the Albany Medical College, from which institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1898. The same year he went to Siam as a medical missionary under the Presbyterian board and spent the succeeding fourteen years in that service. After raising the necessary funds he built the Swart Memorial Hospital in Siam. Since returning to his native land in 1912 he has been continuously engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Schenectady, where his professional skill is attested in the large patronage accorded him. He keeps in touch with the advancement that is being made along professional lines through his membership in the Schenectady County Medical Society, the New York State Medical Society and the American Medical Association.
In August, 1898, Dr. Swart was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Weast, who passed away in Siam on the 13th of September, 1901. He returned home on a furlough in 1904 and 1905 and it was in May of the latter year that he wedded Jennie M. Quick, who accompanied him to Siam. Their children are five in number, as follows: George Merton, who was born March 2, 1906; Gladys, whose natal day was June 27, 1907; Florence, born February 24, 1909; Laurence Rowland, born October 6, 1910; and Homer Dayton, who was born April 28, 1915. All were born in Siam with the exception of the last named, who is a native of Schenectady, New York.
Dr. Swart is a republican in politics and belongs to the Schenectady County Republican Club. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the First Presbyterian church of Schenectady, in which he is an elder. He takes an active part in both church and Sunday school work and for some time was an officer of the Schenectady County Sunday School Association. During the period of the World war Dr. Swart served as medical examiner. He holds to high ideals in his professional activities and is devoting his life to the welfare of his fellowmen.