"Ron has great ideas, and he has a way of figuring out what will make those ideas work," says ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Director Barbara Hedges. She's not the only person on campus who benefits from his advice. In addition to serving on the Tyee Board of Advisors and helping to raise funds for athletics, Crockett volunteers for the , where he helped develop the Program in Engineering and Manufacturing Management as well as the Program in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. His past volunteer roles include serving for six years on the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Foundation Board of Directors and chairing the Foundation during 1994-95, when private support reached a then-record $127.8 million.
For his dedication to the University, Crockett will receive the 1997 ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alumni Association Recognition Award.
Crockett, who graduated with a B.S. in mechanical engineering in 1962, initially stayed connected to the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø as alumni advisor to his fraternity (). He still loves meeting students, and has been a mentor for athletes and business students. These interests are reflected in his gifts to the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. He has donated more than $1 million for endowed scholarships in business and engineering, to support programs he's involved with, and for new athletic facilities.
When asked why he supports the University, Crockett goes back to his student days when he received the Thomas McCurdy Scholarship. "I worked during college, but that scholarship certainly made my life a lot easier," he says. "My favorite thing to do for the University always ties back to scholarships, helping someone who would not otherwise have the dollars to complete their education." He does that, and a lot more.--Antoinette Wills, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Office of Development
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