John “Joe” J.H. Schwarz

Physician and Surgeon, former state and federal office holder

Joe Schwarz is from Battle Creek, MI and earned his M.D. from Wayne State University in 1964. He served in the U.S. Navy and CIA from 1965-70 in Vietnam, Laos, and Indonesia. He then completed his residency in otolaryngology head and neck surgery at Harvard Medical School in 1973. He returned to private practice in his hometown of Battle Creek from 1974-2014. 

He has served the public as mayor of Battle Creek, in the Michigan Senate, and the U. S. House of Representatives. Dr. Schwarz has been a lecturer at the U-M Ford School of Public Policy since 2007. He was board chair of the Alumni Association U-M from 2006-07 and has served/continues to serve on multiple boards and commissions for U-M and elsewhere. His daughter, Brennan, is also a U-M alum with her BA from LSA and MPP from the Ford School.