Anne Crowther on UTEP, Service, and Elvis
How was your journey from Athletics to Political Science?
I actually first worked for University Relations with Beto Lopez for almost 6 years. Then the university found me another job with athletics and I went in with Billy Gillispie who was head coach at that time and I was there with Doc Salter for two and a half years. When I left athletics, Dr. Coronado hired me here when they needed extra help around about 2001 and it was in part because Mona recommended me. And it has been a great learning experience here since then… The change from athletics to political science was an interesting change for me because my husband, Bob, had been an athlete and my daughter was a pro golfer. I was a tennis player, a bowler, loved to walk, and was very active. Then coming here was a good change because I learned so much. I’ve always done so much reading on my own and I don’t feel like my education ever stopped. When I worked here, when I could help the students see what they were trying to do and help them with things they couldn’t do themselves, it was a growing experience. And I wanted to help on the computers because I’d worked for the optical company and I passed all the tests for computers for three different programs. And it was because of that which helped me get the job when I first interviewed. And I said at the time "I know if I can get this to work for me, just watch my dust!" (laughs)
What are some memories of your interactions with people in Political Science?
Well, as an example, it is interesting that Bob was vice president of a bank and we helped in town with Crime Stoppers and years later that helped me get to know Joe Graves because he was very involved. So that’s where these conversations start and sometimes you just don’t realize how connected we all are. And I like people and I don’t have anything that holds me away from politics or events, especially if it is going to help the university, the city, our lives or whatever. I’m not as active in politics now as I used to be but when I was married my husband was very involved in politics and I was also involved. So I was very up on what was being voted on, what was being done, the best people in the state and in New Mexico because we went to Sante Fe a lot for events there. And I always thought El Paso wasn’t considered enough in Austin as it should be because it is so far away. And the same for Alamagordo in New Mexico. So it is important to get involved. And we did door knocking and all that grassroots stuff…
As far as hobbies outside of work, everyone here knows you love Elvis–any stories to share on that?
Elvis has always been important to me and I think his Gospel songs have always been the best that one could hear. And “In the Ghetto” is one of my favorite songs. And I have my favorite Elvis two-track VHS–I don’t think you buy those anymore–but I got these tapes of his Gospel music and a lot of it was done just in his motel rooms and he had a great bass singer that even Elvis thought was the best voice he ever heard. And I love gospel and used to sing in the choir in church for, gosh I can’t tell you for how long, but it was around high school and always sang until I got to it where I couldn’t get to it anymore. But I always love it and Elvis’s music was what I really fell in love with. That was what Elvis meant to me was his voice and the way he projected. When he sings the gospels you understand every word and that’s not true in a lot of singers. And both for recordings and live…
And you saw Elvis live once, is that true?
You bet I did–in 1955 when he came to El Paso! I went to see him because he was the lead-in artist for the Nashville show at the coliseum. Now, well I wasn’t that close to the stage but I could see him with his big guitar with the flowery pick guard–like that picture you see of him all the time. And he did his hip-gyrations and all that but I was more listening to the voice and I wasn’t paying any attention to the movements that everybody went crazy about. And he was so good that they couldn’t get him off the stage. And the main artist for that show was Little Jimmy Dickens and they finally came on and they’d taken the chairs away and everybody was dancing, cheering, and everything. And they got everybody quiet and they said "If we let Elvis accompany our other performers, can we get on with the show?" And we agreed that as long as he didn’t leave the stage, that would be okay. And that made a big impression on me. And I was a senior in high school!
What is next for you?
Well, I’ve done a jillion things and I’m looking forward to retirement because I’m going to get involved with volunteer organizations again. So I’ll be able to do things that are really interesting to me and so that I can still give to the community. Service has always been important to me in every way. And I think that I do still have a lot to give. So it is definitely not retirement in becoming a couch potato!
What is next for you?
Well, I’ve done a jillion things and I’m looking forward to retirement because I’m going to get involved with volunteer organizations again. So I’ll be able to do things that are really interesting to me and so that I can still give to the community. Service has always been important to me in every way. And I think that I do still have a lot to give. So it is definitely not retirement in becoming a couch potato!