Edwin M. Crawford, a co-founder and also the first chairman of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or case, died Feb. 2 in Wilmington, N.C., of complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr. Crawford, 75, was seen as a national leader in public affairs for higher education. The council he helped found provides training and support for professionals working in development, alumni relations, communications, and government relations for colleges and universities, as well as at independent precollegiate schools.
Its members include more than 3,000 institutions of higher education and private K-12 schools in the United States and 43 other countries.
Mr. Crawford headed Auburn University’s public-affairs office from 1962 to 1966, followed by a stint as vice president for public affairs at the University of Virginia. He later held similar positions at Ohio State University and the University of California system.
After his retirement in 1993, he returned to CASE as the director of state relations and public affairs and later as senior consultant to the group’s president until 1997.
