Harry Swift was born on his family's farm outside of Blackburn, Missouri. In 1916, his family moved to Holden, Missouri where he attended a local country school from first through eighth grades. He attended Olathe High School where he graduated in 1932. He attended College of Emporia in Emporia, Kansas, from 1932 to 1936 when he graduated with bachelor's degrees in history and psychology. From 1937 to 1939, Swift attended the University of Kansas at Lawrence, graduating with a masters in political science in May, 1939.

In 1947, Swift married Pauline Herndorn who came from Ottawa, Kansas. The new couple soon moved to Denver, Colorado. They opened the Western-Evergreen Incorporated nursery shortly after moving. Pauline died on May 2, 1978, and Mr. Swift decided to retire from the horticulture industry and close down the nursery after thirty-five years in business. He remarried in 1979 and moved to Arizona. He currently lives in Glenview Illinois.