TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on May 25, 2026

Clinton H. Swafford, age 89, died on May 22 in Winchester. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law and began practicing law in 1959. He was a longtime member of the Tennessee Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA). He served as TTLA president from 1982-1983, and was honored with the TTLA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. At the age of 24, Swafford became the youngest mayor of Winchester, serving from 1961-1967. He also served for 20 years on the advisory board for the University of Tennessee Space Institute. In those roles he was invited to witness the Apollo 9 launch. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Winchester First Baptist Church or The Gideons International. Visitation will be held at First Baptist Church, 108 S High St., Winchester 37398 on May 30 from 9-11 a.m. CDT with funeral services immediately following. Interment will follow in Franklin Memorial Gardens.