Selma’s Visitor and Information Center features everything a traveler could expect from any visitor’s center in any city in the country. There are T-shirts, coffee mugs, postcards, books, calendars and bric-a-brac of all kinds, lovingly arranged and all devoted to Selma.

The one thing Selma’s visitor’s center has that makes it the stand out is George “Cap” Swift.

A native of this historic city, Cap has been extolling the virtues of living on the Alabama River as long as he’s been breathing. In effect, he’s the living, walking embodiment of everything good about Selma: he’s sensible, knowledgeable, practical and can tell a mean story.

Visitors from all over the world come to Selma and listen to Cap tell tales, swap stories and brag on his favorite town, all with a trademark gravelly voice and a wink.

“I wouldn’t want anybody to try to hire me to do it,” Cap mused.

Since March 18, 1921 – the year Cap was born – Selma’s had a one-man marketing program in Cap. He’s traveled all over the world, and everywhere he’s been he’s told anyone who’ll listen about Selma.

He went to New York and Washington, D.C. while in high school. While in the Marine Corps he spent time in Tennessee, California and everywhere else they decided to send him. The whole time, Cap talked about home.

These days, if you give him a chance, he’ll talk about the 8,000 feet long runway on Craig Field. He’ll talk about the mighty Alabama River. He’ll talk about the transcontinental highway in Selma. He’ll talk about the history of Selma, the great industries, the fascinating people. He’ll even talk about how he was given the nickname “Cap.”

Raised in a “drug store family,” the owners of Swift Drugs, Cap began his lifelong task of bragging on Selma on the curb in front of his family’s drug store. When he was old enough, he worked as a soda jerk at the fountain.

“I was in college before I realized my arm wasn’t supposed to smell like vanilla,” Cap said.

He attended school in Auburn and wrapped up a bachelor’s degree there as soon as possible. Immediately after graduating, Cap enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he became a paratrooper and served during World War II, making the rank of Seargeant before his tour was up.

While he was in the Marines, Cap married his childhood sweetheart, Lillian Johnson, also a Selma resident.

“We got married in Memphis, Tenn.,” Cap recalled. “Honeymooned in the Peabody Hotel. Wouldn’t bad for a buck private in the Marine Corps.”

After finishing a term in the Marines, Cap returned home and started investing in Selma. He served two terms on the Selma City Council, owned and operated at least seven different businesses, retired while working for the Chamber of Commerce and opened the Selma Information and Visitors Center.

Since that day, 17 years ago, Selma has had the perfect hometown ambassador. Fifteen years ago, he even started publishing a magazine devoted to the area, The Selma Showcase, which appears annually. He’s determined to convince everyone how great his hometown and his home state are.

“This is where the future is,” Cap said. “We’ve got water, good climate and the richest soil the Lord ever made. (And) more natural resources than any other state. That’s not what I’m saying, that’s what’s true.”

Cap is celebrating the Selma Information and Visitor’s Center 17th Anniversary with an Open House. Drop by the shop on Broad Street.