After nearly three decades as a dedicated professor, Communications Department Chair Wendell Crow is finally hanging up his graphic design wand, putting down his dry erase pen and riding into well-deserved retirement.

The man known for his consensus-style management approach leaves behind a legacy of growth and goodwill for the department, which has become both the largest and the fastest-growing department on campus.

“The growth has almost been seamless. Dr. Crow has provided great leadership in scheduling classes, he has a great ability to secure the number of classes to meet our targets, and he’s excellent with his technology to help manage the Department,” said Dr. Rick Pullen, Dean of the College of Communications. “And when you think about us as being the largest department on campus, and the fastest-growing department, it takes excellent leadership to be able to manage that in a way that doesn’t become chaotic.”

As chair, Crow manages the well-being of the department. “Virtually every activity – all the academic programs we offer – I’m in charge of all of that,” said Crow in a recent interview. “I’m responsible for seeing that it functions well, that it’s managed to the benefit of the students, that there is a proper, up-to-date, comprehensive program for the students so they’ll be able to go out and compete in the marketplace.”

Dr. Crow has family ties to music (Sheryl Crow is his second cousin), which he intends to enjoy during retirement. His own musical interests include singing and playing the banjo for his church. He also plans to learn to play the piano. “I haven’t played the tenor sax for many years,” he said, “so I probably won’t be doing any rock.”

Although Dr. Crow has a challenging job, he recognizes that many students must beat the odds to overcome the obstacles of life. “They’re very practical. Most of them work. Most of them are putting themselves through school and are paying for their own housing and car,” he said. “Students at Cal State Fullerton are very world-wise, no- nonsense, career-oriented. They want to succeed. They want to be good professionals, and they want to be on the cutting edge.”

Aside from being the Department Chair, he also teaches a course in graphic communications and still finds time to produce the layout for ProComm, the alumni newsletter. “It’s the best alumni newsletter. It’s colorful. Its incredible layout – the centerfold – is very well done,” said Dean Pullen. “I see a lot of alumni publications, and there’s not one that I’ve seen from any university in the United States that would parallel the overall quality.”

Dr. Crow’s list of activities doesn’t end with ProComm. He has also designed many other publications. He has created graphics and logos for several University activities, such as Communications Week, the Senate Forum, the University Lyceum, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences “Toward 2000” series, and the Center for Applied Communications.

“He certainly is one of the most committed professors in the department,” said Dean Pullen. “He has spent many hours on all kinds of projects, in addition to his regular workload.”

Dr. Crow’s contributions to the school include a successful re-accreditation campaign for the department and a 20-station graphics laboratory, funded through by a $140,000 California Lottery grant.

Clearly, Dr. Crow loves his work, and devoting 29 years to Cal State Fullerton does not go unnoticed. He received both “Communicator of the Year” and “Lifetime Member” awards in 1989 from the Orange County chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). He was also named Outstanding Mentor by the College of Communications in 1997.

Mike Tharp, a part-time instructor for almost six years who teaches Public Affairs Reporting, Feature Article Writing and PR Writing, said Dr. Crow reminds him of some of the best managing editors he’s worked for. “People are encouraged by his personality and sense of fairness to express themselves and offer original ideas,” said Mr. Tharp, who has been a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and U.S. News & World Report. “I’ve found myself that when he faces tough calls, he’s usually fair-minded with a lot of down-home common sense.”

Dr. Crow holds the record for being the first and only administrator to serve as coordinator for four different communications concentrations: technical communications, journalism, photocommunications, and public relations.

As a trained communicator with an open mind, Dr. Crow has unified the department, making it stronger than before. “His management style would be one of leading by consensus, certainly open to input from the faculty,” said Dean Pullen. “He’s not a talk-down type of person, but one who consults before making decisions, with a down-to-earth style in terms of interacting with faculty, and I think it works very well for him and the Department of Communications.”

Known for his gentle demeanor and democratic leadership, Crow is not only well liked by faculty, but by his students as well. “He’s a very nice professor, very helpful,” said 21-year-old advertising major Lacey Welborn. “I learned a lot from him. He’s well-informed and on top of his game.”

His résumé showcases his professionalism, with an extensive list of achievements. But he’s also a humble man who loves to sing and play the banjo.

“I’ve known him before I came to Cal State Fullerton. I’ve known him since graduate school. He’s just the nicest guy you’ll ever meet,” said Professor of Communications, Ed Trotter. “He’s just a genuine nice, nice guy.”

Crow will retire in August. “Dr. Crow is a very committed leader to the Department of Communications,” said Dean Pullen. “ And he will always be remembered as being a dedicated, steadfast, committed faculty member who served a long time in a very faithful way.”

Twenty-nine years after his journey with Cal State Fullerton began, Crow embarks on a new journey. “My plans for after retirement include some writing, some consulting, music interests, volunteering for the American Lung Association, and spending time with my family.”

Written by: Ronald Ching