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Message regarding the passing of George W. Crawford

The provost's office sent the following announcement to the College community Nov. 4 regarding the passing of George W. Crawford - Ed.

To the College Community:

The College sadly notes the passing of Professor George W. Crawford, who passed away at the age of 103, on November 3 at his home in Statesville, North Carolina.  

Professor Crawford earned his B.S. from Davidson University, his M.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Ph.D. from Ohio State University.  He was called into service during World War II and served as Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry in the European Theater as a member of the First United States Army Headquarters.  He took part in Normandy, Central European and Rhineland Campaigns and was awarded six ribbons and three campaign stars.

During his career, Professor Crawford taught at North Carolina State University and at Davidson University.  He joined the faculty at the College of William and Mary in 1960 and retired in 1973 with the rank of Professor of Physics, Emeritus.

In addition to his excellent record as a teacher and scholar, Professor Crawford performed a service to William and Mary that has significant meaning to all generations of the William and Mary family.   In 1971, Professor Crawford, an authority on sundials, began the restoration of the historic William and Mary sundial which had been originally placed on campus in 1815.  In 1975, when Professor Crawford had succeeded in making a bronze replica of the sundial to be placed in the New Campus Mall, the fully-restored original sundial was placed in Swem Library.  

Professor Crawford is survived by his nephew, Robert C. Crawford and by nieces, Agnes C. Mayes, Mary Frances Holland, Sara C. Wolfson and Betty Crawford.  Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, November 5 at Forest Park Presbyterian Church, Davie Avenue East, Statesville, NC.  The family will receive friends in the church parlor prior to the service.  

Memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County, 2347 Simonton Road, Statesville, NC  28625 or to Forest Park Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 1222, Statesville, NC 28687.