UCM Department of English Dedicates Reading Room in Honor of Professor Emeritus Crump

Professor Emeritus Gail Crump, Ph.D., prepares to cut the ribbon for the newly-named G.B. Crump Reading Room.
From left, Marc Joseph, Ph.D., chair of the Department of English; UCM President Roger Best; Miriam Fuller, Ph.D.,
professor of English; Crump; Pat Smithson, former Director of Development with the UCM Alumni Foundation;
and Charles Martin, Ph.D., professor of English.

 

During a reception filled with fond memories and humorous stories, the University of Central Missouri (UCM) Department of English dedicated the G.B. Crump Reading Room on April 23.

The room in the Martin Building is now named in honor of Gail Crump, Ph.D., professor emeritus of English, for his years of distinguished service to UCM and his generosity in supporting its students and programs. 

The space serves English students in various capacities, including as a meeting place for the Arcade literary magazine and the Sigma Tau Delta honor society and as an informal lounge where students can work and relax individually or in groups. Naming the room in honor of Crump seems especially fitting, given his ongoing strong commitment to helping students succeed at UCM.

During his tenure, Crump said the room was used by faculty as a kind of home away from home, promoting collegiality and community.

“Now I come in and see faculty and students, and it seems like there’s a sense of community that is very admirable and carries on the tradition,” Crump said after thanking those who made the renaming and upgrades possible.

Crump earned Bachelor’s degrees in English and English Education from Truman State University and a Master’s and doctoral degree in English from the University of Arkansas. He joined the faculty at Central Missouri State College in 1969, teaching courses such as first-year composition, general education literature classes, and courses for English majors and graduate students.

From 1969 to 2011, Crump instructed and mentored thousands of UCM students. Marc Joseph, Ph.D., chair of the Department of English, said that students remarked upon Crump’s patience, cheerfulness and enthusiasm for literature. One student said that in class, “he loves to laugh because he is in love with world literature.” Another said Crump is a “great man [who] will help any student who needs it.”

Besides his work in the classroom, Crump served the university in multiple leadership and administrative roles. He chaired the Department of English and Philosophy, was interim chair for both the Departments of Geography and Modern Languages, served for two years as associate provost, and chaired many department, college and university committees. As a fiction editor for Pleiades, he has read tens of thousands of pages of submissions and has been a stalwart supporter and promoter of the magazine. 

In recognition of this work, Crump was honored in 2010 with the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) Distinguished Service Award.

UCM President Roger Best said Crump sets the standard for UCM faculty and has been an impactful faculty member and administrator.

Charles Martin, Ph.D., professor of English, offered remarks about Crump as a teacher, scholar, chair, philanthropist, patron of the arts, feminist and humorist. He said Crump published his work at a time when it was discouraged for faculty to do so and advocated for hiring women faculty members when men dominated the department.

He also spoke highly of Crump as a friend.

“He’s always been gracious and supportive of me, always been friendly, always been helpful. I value that friendship,” Martin said. “I am tremendously grateful, and everybody else who considers Gail a friend is grateful for that friendship and understands how loyal he is as a friend. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Gail.”

Since retiring, Crump has continued to serve the department, the college and the university. He has held leadership positions in the UCM Emeriti Association and the CAHSS Advisory Board. Crump even still has a mailbox in the department office.

Crump is also a long-time contributor to the UCM Alumni Foundation, supporting student scholarship opportunities and other initiatives. He has made generous gifts to establish the G.B. Crump Scholarship in English Endowment and bring other Foundation funds up to fully endowed levels.

During the dedication ceremony, the UCM Alumni Foundation shared that more than 40 donors and the UCM Emeriti Association made gifts in Crump’s honor to coincide with the room's renaming.

For more information about the Department of English, visit ucmo.edu/english.