In Memoriam: Jean Bass Crawford, 1926-2015

Jean Bass Crawford, a longtime editor of the Vanderbilt University alumni magazine died on August 7 in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 89 years old.

A native of Nashville, Crawford joined the staff at Vanderbilt in 1964 and was named editor of what was then called the Vanderbilt Alumnus. John Beasley, vice chancellor, emeritus at Vanderbilt University said that “she edited the magazine — she was the magazine — and she did it with skill and style and enormous common sense. She was a wonderful human being with a quick intelligence and a fine sense of humor. She was a joy to work with, and we would all have done flips for her.”

Crawford transformed the publication into a full-color magazine that served as an important development tool to connect with alumni. She was later named director of the Office of Alumni Publications.

Crawford was a graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and later pursued graduate studies at Vanderbilt.