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​A devoted teacher of over 10,000 students, Dr. John Crum, died Dec. 30, 2019. John was a respected and beloved University of Delaware adjunct faculty member who taught history courses for more than 40 years. He started teaching at UD in 1976 and continued until this fall, when his health forced him to stop. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, John received his bachelor’s degree
in education from Shippensburg University in 1964 and then earned
master’s and doctoral degrees in history from UD in 1972 and 1980,
while teaching social studies at Mt. Pleasant High School in
Wilmington, Delaware from 1964 to 2002. He was named the
Brandywine School District's Teacher of the Year in 1983.
Read more about the life of Dr. John Crum in this UDaily story.
John's love of history, scholarship and family is evident in his thesis and dissertation he wrote while a student, full-time teacher, husband and father. From the last paragraph of the acknowledgements of his dissertation, The Citizen vs. the City: Municipal Bureaucracy in Nineteenth-century Philadelphia (1980, University of Delaware):
Most of all, I wish to thank my wonderful wife, Karen. She patiently supported my scholarly endeavors and joyfully shared in the accomplishments. This dissertation is the product of a joint effort - her love and my study. Our two wonderful children, Laurette and Leslie, patiently endured this ordeal. As far back as they can remember their father has been a student. Throughout this endeavor the four of us have learned that dreams can come true; but, dreams have meaning only when deeply shared with loved ones. My debt to my family can never be repaid, but I can acknowledge their love and support by dedicating this work to the three most wonderful people in my life - Karen, Laurette, and Leslie.
1980 Ph.D. dissertation under the advisment of Dr. Carol E. Hoffecker: The Citizen vs. the City: Municipal Bureaucracy in Nineteenth-century Philadelphia.
1972 M.A. thesis under the advisment of Dr. Carol E. Hoffecker: The Wilmington Police Department in the Late Nineteenth Century: from Politics to Reform to Professionalism.
