Johnny Crow ’62, ’68MS, ’85 EDD Named NC State College of Education’s 2022 Distinguished Alumnus

Johnny Crow ’62, ’68MS, ’85EDD has always believed that everyone is a teacher.

“We’re all teachers to someone,” Crow said. “That’s the very purpose for being at NC State. It doesn’t matter whether you’re majoring in biology, molecular science, horticulture, engineering — there’s someone that’s always looking to you as their hero.”

Crow has lived out his belief in the power of teaching at NC State University, where, for 50 years, he was a faculty member in the College of Education. Over the course of his career, Crow was instrumental in creating, naming and developing the College of Education’s graphics communications program. He also created and developed the Graphics Communications Distinguished Lecture and Banquet Series, which existed for 35 years, and he co-authored five engineering graphics and descriptive geometry workbooks.

In recognition of his longtime service to the field of education, Crow has been named the NC State College of Education’s 2022 Distinguished Alumnus and was recently honored during NC State’s Evening of the Stars Gala.

“Dr. Crow exemplifies a lifelong commitment to education and to our College of Education, and I am honored to present him with our 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award,” NC State College of Education Dean Paola Sztajn said. “He has been an integral member of our college for over 60 years, whether as a student, faculty member or strong supporter since his retirement. I am grateful for the extraordinary impact he continues to have on our College of Education, all of the NC State community and the entire field of education.”

For Crow, receiving the award is a meaningful recognition of the impact he has been able to make over his decades-long career. 

“To receive such a great honor from a place that you love dearly, I’m highly honored and deeply grateful,” Crow said. “To receive that award in the presence of people that you love and on the campus of a place you love, it’s just really, I would say, the highlight of my life.”