Ray Crowe, a historical basketball coach, educator and politician, will be honored with a historical marker on March 15 in Whiteland, Indiana. The marker, titled “Ray Crowe, 1915-2003,” celebrates Crowe’s lasting impact on Indiana basketball.
This historical marker is the first in Whiteland and the seventh in Johnson County. Markers such as the Ray Crowe historical marker help communities share and preserve their rich history. The program has installed more than 670 in the state since 1946.
Crowe, a Johnson County native, attended Whiteland High School and later enrolled at the University of Indianapolis — formerly known as Indianapolis Central College. Throughout his career, Crowe held miscellaneous positions including coach, teacher, athletic director, state representative, director of Indy Parks and Recreation, and Indianapolis City-County Council member.
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Crowe is best known for his outstanding contributions to basketball. He became the head basketball coach at Indianapolis’s all-Black Crispus Attucks High School in 1950. Under his leadership, Attucks won the state finals four times, including titles in 1955 and 1956.
Indiana basketball legend Oscar Robertson, who played for Crowe during the 50s, said in a statement that he believes the success of the basketball team at Attucks High School in Indianapolis helped improve racial relations in the city and made it easier for public schools to integrate.
Crowe’s emphasis on good sportsmanship and fast-paced, aggressive play helped Attucks challenge pervasive racism and become the first all-Black team to win the state championship. He also served as athletic director at Attucks from 1957-1967.
Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation (CPCSC) Board Member and former Whiteland Athletic Director “Butch” Zike recalled what it was like meeting Crowe.
“When I met Ray Crowe, I could tell immediately he was a special person,” Zike said in a statement. “We renamed our top athletic award after Ray because of his impeccable character and leadership. He just did things the right way.”
CPCSC Superintendent Timothy Edsell offered parallel sentiments on Crowe’s countless contributions.
“You’re not in Johnson County very long before hearing about Ray Crowe,” Edsell said in a statement. “When you read about his history of growing up on a farm here, leading the charge for racial equality through basketball, education, state government and Indianapolis politics, it’s an unprecedented story to say the least,” says Edsell.
The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the southeast corner of the Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation Administration Building at 50 Center St., Whiteland, Indiana.
Contact multimedia staff writer Noral Parham at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Twitter @3Noral.
