John and Janet Swanson make planned gift — a charitable remainder annuity trust

Judith Kearney
ASME Foundation

John Swanson, newly elected to the Board of Directors of the ASME Foundation, is internationally recognized as an authority and innovator in the application of finite-element methods to engineering. Swanson, the founder of the software company now known as Ansys, is well known as a researcher and an entrepreneur, as well.

Swanson, now one of the newest members of the ASME Foundation's Archimedes Club, is also a philanthropist. He succinctly sums up his philosophy about giving: "I came in to this world naked and I plan to leave it naked; it is all a question of timing."

John and Janet Swanson

For that reason, Swanson and his wife Janet made a planned gift to the ASME Foundation in the form of a charitable remainder annuity trust. He chose this particular gift vehicle because he knows that it will provide lifetime income to him or his wife and will also benefit ASME and the world of engineering when they are gone.

"A charitable remainder annuity trust offers me perfect timing — a guaranteed income stream for the rest of our lives," Swanson explained.

Swanson earned bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering at Cornell University and began his engineering career at Westinghouse. While he was there, he pursued a doctorate in applied mechanics at the University of Pittsburgh, and went on to receive numerous local, national, and industrial accreditations and awards. He is a Fellow of ASME and was named an Honorary Member of the Society in 2003.

Of his love of engineering, Swanson said, "Engineers are in charge of making things work. That will always be the same. We take what's available and make it work."

In the spirit of "making things work," Swanson developed a series of special-purpose simulation codes. He later realized that there must be an integrated general-purpose finite element software code for complex engineering calculations. That led him to found his own company, Swanson Analysis Systems Inc., now known as Ansys Inc.

Swanson started as the firm's only staff person and grew the company to 250 employees by the time he stepped down in 1994. Ultimately, the software code developed by Swanson changed the way many companies now develop products.

Swanson is very clear about the highlight of his career, which was receiving the John Fritz Medal in 2004. Nominated by ASME, Swanson said the award, which recognizes notable scientific or industrial achievement in the areas of pure or applied science, puts him in good company-with the likes of George Westinghouse, Alexander Graham Bell, Orville Wright, and many other great names in engineering.

Archimedes Club Gift Levels Platinum: Planned gifts of $1 million or more. Gold: Gifts of $500,000 to $1 million. Silver: Gifts of $100,000 to $500,000. Bronze: Gifts of $25,000 to $100,000. Member: All planned gifts up to $25,000.

Now semi-retired, Swanson continues to consult, largely with Ansys but also on some smaller short-term projects. That leaves plenty of time for an active retirement, which includes extensive volunteer work with his two alma maters, and serving on the board of trustees of Washington & Jefferson College.

When asked why he made a planned gift to the Society, he answered, "I've been an ASME member all my professional life. ASME is an integral part of the engineering environment and is valued for its social as well as professional activities. I want to help that continue."

The Archimedes Club recognizes members and friends of ASME who have made a planned gift to the ASME Foundation. If you are considering such a gift, the ASME Foundation offers assistance in finding the best options for your particular circumstances.

To learn more about the program, visit the ASME Foundation on the Web at http://foundation.asme.org, or contact Judith Kearney, director of development, at (212) 591-7445; e-mail: kearneyj@asme.org.

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