The Online Reflector

The University of Indianapolis will be renaming New Hall to honor alumni brothers Ray and George Crowe in the beginning of fall.

Ray was a 1938 graduate and his younger brother George graduated in 1943.

Dean of Students Kory Vitangeli sent a campus wide email Feb. 23 announcing the name change.

The decision to rename the residence hall came from a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees.

Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Mark Weigand believes that renaming the hall will benefit everyone at UIndy.

“I think it’s [renaming the hall] a great opportunity for our students, faculty, staff and alumni to learn more about some of the early history of the university,” Weigand said. “In particular, the university has always valued diversity in our early years, and I think it will show that our values of diversity that we have today stem from many, many years of a strong foundation.”

Both Crowe brothers were highly involved on campus and were best known for their accomplishments in sports. Ray and George were both three-sport athletes and received many honors during their time at the university.

Before coming to the university, George was named Indiana’s first Mr. Basketball. After leaving what was then Indiana Central College,  he went on to play professional basketball and baseball.

Ray was inducted into the UIndy Hall of Fame in 1968 and Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He went on to coach basketball at Crispus Attucks High School and led that team to be the first black team to a state championship victory.

Weigand said that Ray not only coached the team, but helped to improve the players.

“He [Ray] had many accomplishments. But I think the legacy of Ray Crowe was one of changing lives and making the lives of those athletes and the lives of the people in the communities that he served better,” Weigand said.

Ray also served as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives and in other various legislative positions.

Director of Media Relations Scott Hall believes that many people remember Ray for his character.

“If you talk to people who knew them or were around at the time, say when Ray Crowe was winning state titles with the Crispus Attucks basketball team as coach, the thing that comes up over and over again is the strength of their character and their integrity in the face of probably many challenges that they faced on their way to having successful careers,” Hall said.

The residence hall name change is coming during the construction of the newest residence hall, Roberts Hall.

Hall said that the two names highlight some of the accomplishments that alumni and past university leaders have had.

“The fact that we’re honoring some of the more prominent alumni can only be a good thing for the university. We want to remind people of the caliber of students that we attract and the caliber of graduates that we [have] produced. Both of these men [the Crowe brothers], as well as other members of their family, went on to be great citizens,” Hall said. “I think that was a conscious decision to draw more upon the history of the university and to celebrate our history a little more.”

Ralph Davis, a 1942 graduate of Indiana Central College, attended school around the same time as Ray and George Crowe. He frequently watched them play in their various sports. Davis agrees that renaming the building is an honor for the two brothers.

“I think it’s [the renaming of New Hall] very appropriate,” Davis said. “I think it means a lot to the institution. We’ve come a long way since those days.”

Davis also said that the brothers would accept the honor with grace.

“It wouldn’t faze them a bit,” Davis said. “They were just a very humble family.”

That sense of calm was present while playing the sport as well, Davis said. He recalled a basketball game in which a competitor had verbally and physically harassed George throughout play. According to Davis, later in the game, another ICC player knocked the opponent to the ground.

“They [Ray and George] never got riled up on the floor,” Davis said. “They were always very calm and collected. They just set a good example.”

Weigand believes that these traits are what helped the brothers to succeed.

“Ray and George Crowe’s accomplishments are really an attribute to themselves and their family, but [their accomplishments] also are a tribute to the university, which played a role in their early years,” Weigand said.

Hall agrees and believes that these traits are worth celebrating.

“It’s [renaming the hall] a reminder to everyone on campus that we have a lot to be proud about,” Hall said. “I think the kind of values that the Crowes stood for, in terms of character and integrity, are worth celebrating. It’s a point in our history that we do want to highlight.”

Hall said he hopes that students will take the initiative to research the significance behind the new name on their own and find out about the Crowe’s many accomplishments.

Crowe Hall will be dedicated next fall with family members of the Crowe brothers present.