Ray Crowe facts for kids

Raymond Province Crowe (May 30, 1915 – December 20, 2003) was an important basketball coach, teacher, and politician in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the head basketball coach for Crispus Attucks High School from 1950 to 1957. After that, he worked as the school's athletic director for ten more years.

His teams won the Indiana state basketball championship in 1955 and 1956. They were the first all-black school in the country to win a state championship. They were also the first team from Indianapolis to win the state title. Coach Crowe trained many Indiana All-Star players, including Oscar Robertson. He was honored in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968.

In 1966, Crowe became a state representative for Indianapolis in the Indiana House of Representatives. He later led the House Education Committee. He also served as a director for Indianapolis parks and on the Indianapolis City-County Council. Ray's younger brother, George Crowe, was the first Indiana Mr. Basketball and played major league baseball.

Ray Crowe: Early Life and Education

Ray Crowe grew up on a farm near Franklin, Indiana. He was one of ten children. His younger brother, George Crowe, became a famous baseball player. Ray played basketball and baseball at Whiteland High School. He was often the only black player on his team.

He was a top player in basketball for four years. He was also a baseball player for three years. After high school, Crowe went to Indiana Central College. This school is now called the University of Indianapolis. He played basketball, baseball, and ran track there. He earned a degree in education. After college, Crowe taught math and coached basketball at a school in Indianapolis.

Ray Crowe believed in hard work and discipline. He focused on achievement to overcome challenges.

Coaching at Crispus Attucks High School

In 1950, Ray Crowe became the head basketball coach at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis. He had been an assistant coach there for two years before. Crispus Attucks High was built in 1927. It was a separate school for African-American students. All black students in the city had to go there. The teachers at the school were all black. Many of them had advanced degrees.

Winning State Championships

In his first year, Coach Crowe led the Attucks team to the final four of the 1951 Indiana state basketball tournament. The team had three future Hall of Fame players. These players later played for the Harlem Globetrotters. Attucks finished that season with 26 wins and only 2 losses.

In 1954, Attucks reached the state quarter-finals. They lost to Milan, a team known as "The Milan Miracle." Ray Crowe even had a small part in the movie Hoosiers. This movie was inspired by the Milan team.

In the 1954–55 season, Attucks won the state championship. This was a huge moment! They were the first all-black school in the country to win a state title. They were also the first Indianapolis team to win the championship. The team lost only one game all season. They won the final game against Gary Roosevelt. This was another all-black school. Attucks finished the season with 31 wins and 1 loss.

In 1955–56, Attucks won the state championship again. They beat Lafayette Jefferson in the final game. They were the first team to win the title without losing any games. They finished with a perfect record of 31 wins and 0 losses. They also had a record 45-game winning streak.

These championship teams were led by the legendary player Oscar Robertson. He is in both the Indiana and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Robertson scored many points for Attucks. Other great players on the team included Willie Merriweather and Bill Scott. The entire team has also been honored in the Indiana Hall of Fame.

The state basketball championship games were held at Butler Fieldhouse. This building is now called Hinkle Fieldhouse. After winning, the team would usually ride in a parade downtown. When Attucks won in 1955, the parade stopped briefly downtown. Coach Crowe received a key to the city. But then the parade continued to a park in a black neighborhood. Oscar Robertson felt sad that his team was treated differently. The same thing happened after the 1956 championship. Even so, special dinners were held for the teams at downtown restaurants. Normally, they would not have been allowed to eat there.

In 1956–57, many top players had graduated. The Attucks team was young. People did not expect them to win the state championship. But the team worked hard. They made it to the championship game. They lost to an undefeated team, South Bend Central. Many people, including Coach Crowe, thought this was his best coaching job.

Coach Crowe left his head coaching role at the end of the 1957 season. His record was 179 wins and only 20 losses. He became the athletic director at Crispus Attucks. Bill Garrett took over as head coach. Garrett led Attucks to another state championship in 1959. Crowe stayed as athletic director until 1967.

How Attucks Changed Things

Many people believe that the success of the Attucks team helped improve race relations in Indianapolis. It also helped schools become more integrated. At first, other Indianapolis schools did not want to play Attucks. The team often played games away from home. Finding hotels or restaurants that would serve them was hard. The team often had to bring their own food.

Coach Crowe tried to protect his players from unfair treatment. He stayed calm and focused on success. He made sure all his players graduated. If players struggled in school, they could not play. The team's good behavior earned respect from everyone. They gained fans, both black and white.

Coach Crowe used a fast-paced style of play. This was different from the usual slow style in Indiana high school basketball. His tall, fast players would quickly move the ball down the court. They would shoot before the other team could set up their defense. Attucks games were exciting to watch. They started to attract large crowds. Other teams wanted to play them because more people would come to the games.

Sometimes, the team faced unfair calls from referees. Many people thought these calls were based on race. Coach Crowe would not complain. He told his team to get such a big lead that bad calls would not matter. He would say, "The first ten points are for the refs, the rest are for us."

The success of Attucks was very important for the black community. They were compared to heroes like Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis. Their wins showed the world what black athletes could achieve. Bobby Plump, a star from the Milan Miracle team, said Attucks' achievement was even more significant than his team's. He said, "When you break a barrier, that's significant."

Oscar Robertson believed that their wins helped speed up integration. He said, "By us winning, it sped up the integration. I truly believe that us winning the state championship brought Indianapolis together."

Serving the Community as a Politician

In 1966, Ray Crowe was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. He was one of fifteen Republicans from Indianapolis. He served in the legislature for nine years. He became the leader of the House Education Committee.

As chair, Crowe worked to make Indiana public schools more integrated. State law allowed integration starting in 1949. But in reality, schools remained mostly separate. Crispus Attucks had no white students until 1971. Crowe worked to change this. In 1969, court orders led to teachers and students being moved to different schools. This helped achieve fuller integration. Crowe later worked as an assistant director for public education in Indiana.

From 1976 to 1979, Crowe led the Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation. He also served on the Indianapolis City-County Council from 1983 to 1987.

Honoring Ray Crowe

In 1987, Ray Crowe was added to the Hall of Fame at the University of Indianapolis. This was his old college. In 2012, the school named a building "Ray & George Crowe Hall" to honor both brothers.

In 2009, a special event was held at Conseco Fieldhouse. This is where the Indiana Pacers play. A banner was put up to honor Crowe's 1955 championship team. In 2021, a new elementary school opened in Greenwood, Indiana. It was named Ray Crowe Elementary.

Ray Crowe passed away on December 20, 2003, at age 88. A memorial service was held at Crispus Attucks High School. Many people came, including his former players. The service included a procession through Indianapolis. It followed the same route that state basketball champions used to take. This time, people of all races traveled the road together.