Heidelberg University Athletics

Alvin Louis Crump was known as a man of 'real character" while a student at Heidelberg College.

Arriving from the Hoosier state in 1925, Crump expressed an interest in athletics. In need of every man he could get, coach Herman "Suz" Sayger immediately pressed the freshman into action.

In the 1929 Aurora, "Levi" was described as "an athlete of no ill repute.  A consistent man wherever he is."  With very little playing experience and skills that were not very polished, Crump developed into a great offensive lineman on the football field and a defensive stalwart on the basketball court.

Working hard and giving his all in every game, Crump filled a hole in the right side of the offensive line for the Cardinals, as the Heidelberg football team was known at that time. His character, consistency and fortitude were witnessed repeatedly by teammates and the college, as they watched Crump's relentless blocking, despite fractured ribs on several occasions.

As a basketball player, Crump was described in the Kilikilik as "a defensive man, pure and simple, tossing in a basket now and then to break the monotony". As a reward for his never-ending dedication to the game and its less glorious aspects, Crump was named captain of the team for his senior year.

Crump's character, dedication and affinity for hard work weren't left on the college's playing fields. His story since leaving Heidelberg in 1929 is similarly impressive.

Crump became an engineering specialist with the Powers Regulator Company and was in charge of the automatic controls at the west end of Stag Field, where the first controlled atomic reaction took place. He then hired on with Rocket Powder Company, furnishing all the gaskets certified for the Atomic Power Commission. Yet today, Crump supplies gaskets to numerous nuclear power facilities, as far as Taiwan.

Active in Masonry, Crump has risen to the highest ranks and received the most exclusive honors. He has served on the Masonic Hospital Board since 1946, when he was Master, and has been the Assistant Executive Director of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc., for more than 20 years.

(This profile appeared in the 1987 Hall of Fame Banquet program.  Mr. Crump passed away in 1995.)