Elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1975, Ross O. Swimmer transitioned the Tribe from a single leader to a democratic system with tribal councils and courts. His strong business acumen resulted in record business growth; funding to replace the Hastings Indian Hospital; and securing financial settlements from the federal government. Under his leadership, the Tribe constructed a new tribal office, community centers, and managed water projects that brought running water to its citizens.

Appointed to multiple boards and commissions, he served at the request of Governor Henry Bellmon on the Global Leaders of the South to address government and business issues in the southern United States and Governor George Nigh on the Commission on Education. Swimmer chaired the Planning and Zoning Commission for the City of Tahlequah, served on the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Board of Directors, and played an integral role in The University of Tulsa’s transition from a commuter school to residential.

Appointed Assistant Secretary for the Department of the Interior - Indian Affairs by President Ronald Reagan, Swimmer provided trust services to all five hundred tribes, authored the Indian Gaming Act, and served on the board of the National Archives Foundation. Reagan later appointed him co-chair of the Presidential Commission on Indian Reservation Economies. President George W. Bush appointed Swimmer director of the Office of Indian Trust Transition and later as the first special trustee for American Indians, with the Senate confirming his nomination.