Dr. Leonard "Len" Swinyer earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont Medical Center in his home state, followed by an internship and residency in internal medicine and pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He went on to serve several years in the US Navy as Chief Pathologist at Quantico Naval Hospital in Virginia during the Vietnam War, before completing a three-year residency in dermatology at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. He is board-certified in both Dermatology and Dermatopathology.

 

In 1973, Dr. Swinyer established a private dermatology practice in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

A devoted educator throughout his career, Dr. Swinyer founded the Intermountain Dermatology Society and the Utah Society of Dermatologic Medicine and Surgery and served as a founding member of both the American Acne and Rosacea Society and the national Dermatology Photo Society. He founded the Dermatology Research Center in 1978, led over 400 clinical trials as principal investigator, and retired in December 2018.  He also launched a journal club for private dermatology practitioners and spent several years leading “show and tell” board preparation sessions for dermatology residents. 

 

Dr. Swinyer’s national reputation was built in large part on the revolutionary techniques and standards he introduced to dermatologic medical photography. His extensive slide collection was donated jointly to the OHSU and University of Utah dermatology departments, which undertook the monumental task of categorizing and digitizing the entire collection — complete with disease descriptions and suggested diagnoses — now available to medical schools and scholars worldwide. The collection bears his name in perpetuity.

 

Dr. Swinyer received numerous prestigious honors, including the National Practitioner of the Year award from the Dermatology Foundation in 2006. The American Academy of Dermatology recognized him with the Golden Triangle Award in 2009 and a Presidential Citation in 2010, both of which acknowledged his efforts in public education and his dedication to reducing the mortality and incidence of skin cancer.

 

Dr. Swinyer authored numerous articles and co-authored The Color Atlas of Dermatology, Volumes I and II, published in English, Portuguese, and French.

 

Dr. Swinyer had a deep love for the West, especially Utah, and enjoyed skiing, 4-wheeling, golf, boating, and traveling with his wife, Thalia, an RN and administrator who worked side by side with him for nearly 40 years.

 

Dr. Swinyer and Thalia have two children: Laura Riley, BS HCA, who works in clinical research, and Michael Swinyer, PA-C, who practices dermatology at Swinyer-Woseth Dermatology. They are also the proud grandparents of four wonderful grandchildren and three great-grandsons, including two namesake grandsons born in 2025. 

 

No profile of Dr. Swinyer would be complete without mentioning his lifelong love of magic. Captivated by the craft since age 11, he was an active member of both the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians and delighted friends and family with performances throughout his life.

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Dr. Swinyer fought a courageous battle against Frontotemporal Dementia and died peacefully at home on April 18, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.