Dr. Gail B. Crump received a BA and a BSE in English from Truman, graduating summa cum laude in 1964. He went on to earn a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Arkansas, where he was selected a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Crump’s academic interests are in Modern British and American Literature, particularly fiction and drama.
A native of Kirksville, Dr. Crump, his twin brother, Gary, and younger brother, Jay all attended Truman and all eventually earned doctoral degrees – something he firmly believes would not have happened had he not lived in a town with an affordable, quality University. As an undergraduate, Dr. Crump was a member of College Players, Blue Key, Alpha Phi Omega, and other organizations. The relationships he developed with faculty, particularly Dr. Jim Severns, had a profound impact on his years at Truman and his professional career.
Dr. Crump joined the Department of English at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg in 1969 and taught there until his retirement in 2011. He served as chair of the Department of English and Philosophy, interim chair of the Department of Modern Languages, interim chair of the Department of Geography and Interdisciplinary Studies and associate provost. Dr. Crump is so well regarded on Central’s campus that in 2014, the Service Award of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences was renamed “The Gail B. Crump Meritorious Service Award” in his honor.
Always connected to his alma mater, Dr. Crump served six years on Truman’s Foundation Board of Directors and is a member of the President’s Circle, has been actively involved in the Kansas City Alumni Chapter, and was the Distinguished Service Award recipient in 2015. In 2007, Dr. Crump created the C.V. Huenemann Lectureship in English. He was also a major contributor to the campaign for the Severn’s Theatre, honoring his teacher and mentor. A member of the Joseph Baldwin Society, in his estate plans, Dr. Crump will create the Dr. Gail Crump Scholarship Fund and a second scholarship honoring his late brother, Gary.