About the Crawfords
For nearly three decades, alumni and administrators Leonard and Gladys Crawford were
among the most beloved figures on the Tech campus. Leonard, a member of Tech’s class
of 1929 – the first baccalaureate class – is noted for his efforts in growing the
Alumni Association. He also directed Tech's alumni and job placement offices, student
recruiting and campus workshops. Gladys, a 1935 graduate, ran Tech's cafeteria for
a number of years as head dietitian.
In 2017, the Leonard and Gladys Crawford Alumni Center was named in honor of these two individuals who had such great impact on the Tech campus.
The Crawford Alumni Center is housed in the Tennessee Tech Varsity Building, located at 705 N. Dixie Ave., on the corner of 7th St. and Dixie Ave. The Center manages alumni engagement, annual giving and stewardship efforts for the university and is the main point of contact for the Tennessee Tech Alumni Association.
Though nearly half a century has passed since the Crawford's service to Tech, alumni still remember them with fondness. Leonard and Gladys Crawford were leaders in both school spirit and campus life – and that's a role the Crawford Alumni Center strives to fulfill today with the experiences they offer to alumni and friends of Tech.
Here are stories of the impact the Crawfords had on the Tech community: