Norval Crews

Norval Griswold Crews (’63 M.M.Ed.), Wichita Falls retired in May from Midwestern State University as Professor Emeritus after 43 years at the university and a teaching career of more than 50 years. At Midwestern, he at various times directed the symphonic and jazz bands and assisted with the marching band in addition to teaching applied woodwind students and music education classes. He also was a longtime member of the faculty senate and had served as its president. He played clarinet, bass clarinet, E-flat clarinet and saxophone with the Wichita Falls Symphony for a number of years. He previously was a school band director in Lawton, Okla., served three years in the 77th Army Band, and was director of bands and woodwinds instructor at Lawton’s Cameron State College, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 1969. He also performed as principal clarinetist with the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra and was assistant conductor. At North Texas, he worked as Maurice McAdow's graduate assistant, was a soloist with the Symphonic Band and performed with the Lab Band. He now plays with several jazz bands in the Wichita Falls area, and he and his pianist wife of 53 years, Jahn Holt Crews (’63), perform as a jazz duo and give music lessons.