William A. Crawford

William A. Crawford (1936-2015)

An Indianapolis native, William Crawford represented the 98th District in the Indiana House of Representatives from 1972-2012, following military service in the US Navy from 1954 to 1958 and employment with United States Postal Service. During his service in the Indiana House of Representatives, he also worked as the Manager of Outreach Programs at IV Tech from 1993-2011, where he was very successful in increasing minority enrollment.

Crawford had been inspired to start a career as a community activist and politician when he heard Bobby Kennedy announce the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King during an Indianapolis stop of Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. Leading the efforts to mark that spot with a special memorial in 1995 was just one of his many accomplishments, which also included being instrumental in the leadership of the Indiana Black Expo and the Circle City Classic. As an active legislator, he served as the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee starting in 2002 and authored three biennial state budgets, as well as other efforts seeking to improve education, health, and voting rights for his constituents and for all the citizens of Indiana.