2013 Speaker

Dr. William H. Crouch, Jr.

William H. Crouch, Jr. began his era of leadership-by-example the day he became president of Georgetown College in 1991.

Often described as a visionary in not only corporate and academic worlds, but also in the community of Christian faith, Crouch’s initiatives at the College include: the achievement of numerous record-setting fund-raising goals, the founding of many unique, often-emulated programs such as the President’s Ambassadors, the Equine and Global Scholars Programs, the Presidential Mentorship  Program, and the Apprenticeship Challenge; the facilitation of the construction of a new Fine Arts Building, a nationally acclaimed Learning Resource Center (library), and a high profile Athletic and Conference Center Complex, the latter to which he immediately recruited the NFL Cincinnati Bengals football team’s annual summer training camp, and a model faculty growth and development program.

Concurrently, Dr. Crouch has been instrumental in expanding the geographical base from which Georgetown College draws its students, all the while aggressively pursuing greater diversity among students, faculty, and staff and leading the College to a Carnegie Foundation Baccalaureate College-Liberal Arts national ranking. In 2010, Georgetown College was invited to join the 58-member Southern University Conference of educational institutions recognized for exceptional quality among colleges and universities in the Southeast.

During his presidency, Dr. Crouch has represented Georgetown College on a variety of community boards, including the Executive Committee of the United Way of the Bluegrass, the Lexington Area Sports Authority, and Bluegrass Tomorrow. He also served on the National Board of Directors of the Council of Independent Colleges, was chair of the Board of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and served as a member of the Kentucky 2010 World Equestrian Games Advisory Council. Presently, he serves as a trustee for The First Tee Initiative for educating inner city youth.

The son of a Baptist minister who was also a well-respected educator, Dr. Crouch is a Louisville, KY native. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and his master’s and doctorate degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1998, he was elected a Distinguished Fellow at Regent’s Park College, University of Oxford. In 2003, he was elected a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and in 2008 was honored to receive the Hellenic-Ideals Award. Prior to coming to Georgetown College, Dr. Crouch was vice president of development at Carson-Newman College.

Dr. Crouch and his wife, Jan, have five adult children and six grandchildren.

Last fall, Dr. Crouch announced his plans to retire as president of Georgetown College on June 30, 2013.