Vernon D'Orsay Crawford (February 13, 1919 - September 27, 1994) was a professor, dean, and later interim president at the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public university, public research university and Institute of technology (United States), institute of technology in Atlanta, ...

from March 1969 to August 1969, and later chancellor of the

University System of Georgia The University System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 26 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates gener ...

from 1979 to 1985.

Early life and education

Crawford was born February 13, 1919, in

Amherst, Nova Scotia Amherst ( ) is a town in northwestern Nova Scotia, Canada, located at the northeast end of the Cumberland Basin (Canada), Cumberland Basin, an arm of the Bay of Fundy, and south of the Northumberland Strait. The town sits on a height of land a ...

. His father was a schoolteacher. He earned his

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree in

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

from

Mount Allison University Mount Allison University (also Mount A or MtA) is a Canadian primarily undergraduate liberal arts university located in Sackville, New Brunswick, founded in 1839. Mount Allison was the first university in the British Empire to award a baccal ...

in 1939. He then earned his

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

degree from

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

in 1944. Finally, he earned his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in physics at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

in 1949. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1953.

Career

Crawford taught at Mount Allison University from 1937 to 1949. Crawford was a professor, dean, and later interim president at the

from March 1969 to August 1969. He was chancellor of the 34-campus

from 1979 to 1985. He was a member of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...

.Hansen, Arthur G. "Appointment of Dr. Vernon Crawford as Vice President for Academic Affairs." Letter to Members of the Faculty and Staff. 11 June 1969. MS. Georgia Tech Library Archives, Atlanta, Georgia.

Awards and memberships

Crawford was a member of the honorary societies of

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is an international non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a faculty member and graduate students in 1886 and is one of the oldest ...

Sigma Pi Sigma Sigma Pi Sigma () is an American honor society for physics and astronomy. It was founded at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina on December 11, 1921. It is the oldest and only American honor society for physics and astronomy. It is an or ...

, and

Phi Kappa Phi The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (or simply Phi Kappa Phi or ) is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to the area of study, and to promote the "unity and democracy of educa ...

Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Delta Kappa (), also known as The Circle and ODK, is an American collegiate honor society that recognizes leadership and scholarship. It was founded in 1914, at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and has chartered more t ...

, and The ANAK Society at Georgia Tech. He received an honorary degree from Mount Allison University in 1975. Partly due to their status as benefactors of Georgia Tech, the pool at the

Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center The Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center (abbreviated CRC, formerly known as the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center and the Georgia Tech Student Athletic Center) is part of the Georgia Tech campus. History Georgia Tech's athletic center began at its ...

is named in honor of Vernon and his wife Helen.

Personal life

Crawford was married to Helen Avison. They had two daughters, Dell and Lynn. Crawford was chairman of the board of Literacy Action in Atlanta. He was a member of the Georgia Coalition for Excellence in Mathematics Education. Crawford died of cancer on September 27, 1994, in his home in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 75.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford, Vernon D. 1919 births 1994 deaths Presidents of Georgia Tech Chancellors of the Georgia Board of Regents People from Amherst, Nova Scotia 20th-century American academics Members of Phi Kappa Phi