Drs. George I. Crawford Jr. ’96 and Marcus H. Crawford ’98, in partnership with their sister, Dr. Christine Crawford, have donated a generous $2 million gift to support the future of Morehouse College and Spelman College. The contribution, which will provide each institution with $1 million, reflects the family’s enduring legacy of philanthropy.
The Crawford brothers chose to invest in Morehouse because of their appreciation for the education and transformative experiences they received as students. Both followed their father’s path (Dr. George I. Crawford Sr. ’62, a dentist) into Morehouse and are making an impact in their communities as medical professionals and healthcare entrepreneurs.
Their sister, Dr. Christine Crawford, is a 1994 alumna of Spelman College, a consultant, and a former member of the Morehouse faculty.
“We are who we are because of Morehouse and Spelman. Both institutions created a solid foundation that allowed us to go out and be successful, which is why when my brother, my sister, and I were talking about making a donation to Morehouse and Spelman, it was a no-brainer,” said Dr. George I. Crawford Jr., a general surgeon in Alabama who owns a MedTech business and has patents on four surgical instruments.
Half of the Crawfords’ $1 million gift to the College is designated for the Morehouse Endowment Fund, and the other half, which is unrestricted funds, will support the construction of the new Campus Center, a hub for student innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration. The Crawfords’ gift reinforces Morehouse’s strategic goals and fundraising priorities by expanding investment in academic programs and other initiatives that help Morehouse attract and retain the world’s most promising young Black men.
Morehouse is the nation's only historically Black liberal arts institution dedicated to educating and developing men. More than half of Morehouse’s 2,800 students come from low-income families and need scholarship support to complete their education.
“There is no greater testament to the Morehouse Mission than seeing our alumni return to the College to uplift the next generation of leaders,” said Dr. F. DuBois Bowman ’92, 13th President of Morehouse College. “Drs. George and Marcus Crawford exemplify the excellence and integrity we strive to instill in every graduate. Their $1 million investment is a powerful vote of confidence in Morehouse College, fueling our endowment and providing unrestricted support that enables the College to address pressing needs and drive innovation.”
While at Morehouse, both Crawford brothers majored in chemistry and were inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Dr. Marcus Crawford was also a NASA Ronald E. McNair Scholar. The Crawford brothers later earned their medical degrees from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
“Morehouse has a way of making you believe that you can do anything, then you realize you actually can,” said Dr. Marcus H. Crawford, a plastic surgeon of 18 years who now serves as Founder and Chief Medical Officer of CPS Infusion, based in Georgia. The firm provides complex intravenous medical treatments for patients with chronic and rare diseases. “I had a phenomenal experience at Morehouse, and it got me exactly where I needed to go. It was always a lifelong goal to be able to make a significant gift to the College, and it is my hope that this won’t be the last.”
Dr. Christine Crawford’s contribution is also funding the gifts to Morehouse and Spelman. She earned her doctorate in epidemiology from Harvard, served as a faculty member at Morehouse, and worked as an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She now shares her expertise as a former McDonald's franchisee for 15 years by serving on corporate and non-profit boards.
“Dr. Bill Jenkins, a Morehouse alumnus, is the reason that I learned about epidemiology,” said Dr. Christine Crawford. “The classes he taught at the Public Health Sciences Institute at Morehouse were the reason I was equipped to go straight into a doctoral program at Harvard.”
She urges other graduates to consider making similar unrestricted gifts. “What the College needs evolves and changes; what students need evolves and changes,” she said. “Unrestricted giving allows your gift to grow with the College.”
The Crawfords’ donation to Morehouse supports the “Making Men of Consequence” Campaign, which has raised nearly $370 million to date. The campaign is expanding investment in student scholarships, academic programs, athletics, campus improvements, and faculty research and recruitment.
“We are deeply grateful to the Crawford siblings for their extraordinary generosity and for the spirit of family unity that their gift inspires,” said Hodan Hassan, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Morehouse College. “This transformative investment will strengthen the College’s future and accelerate our campaign to raise funds for the new Campus Center, which will foster the development of outstanding future leaders.”