A workaholic dedicated to making the world a better place, Mary Lynn Crow has been teaching within mediums like TV school, public school, and college since 1956. She spent her first three years as a teacher in Fort Worth and Tyler Public Schools, and the next 10 years as “Miss Mary Lynn” on Romper Room International TV Kindergarten in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Following her tenure with the program, Dr. Crow returned to in-person academics, serving as the counselor of Hurst-Euless-Bedford Public Schools, adjunct professor and counselor of education at the University of North Texas in Denton, and interim director at the Center for Professional Teacher Education. She also became affiliated with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), where she really found a home. Over the years, her roles included instructor, assistant professor of education, associate professor, director of teacher education, distinguished teaching professor, interim dean of the College of Education, and founding director of the Faculty Development Resource Center, one of the first five in the country devoted to improving instruction at the university level. Dr. Crow maintains the position of tenured full professor to this day. Additionally, she has continued with her private practice in Fort Worth since 1971.
Another method Dr. Crow found to share her knowledge was writing. She authored, “The Many Faces of Love,” in 2008 and “Teaching on Television,” in 1977, and co-authored “The Little Orange Book: Short Lessons in Excellent Teaching” in 2015 and “Faculty Development in Southern Universities,” in 1976. She contributed 68 scholarly articles to professional journals as well.
Dr. Crow prepared for her endeavors by earning a PhD from the University of North Texas in 1970 and a Master of Education and Bachelor of Arts from Texas Christian University in 1967 and 1956, respectively. She also completed coursework at Monticello College between 1952 and 1953, became certified as a teacher in the state of Texas, and licensed as a psychologist in the states of Texas and Massachusetts. To remain connected to developments in her field, she has retained membership with the American Psychological Association, the Texas Psychological Association, and the Fort Worth Area Psychological Association.
As a testament to her success, Dr. Crow is the most highly awarded faculty member from the College of Education in the whole University of Texas system. Her accolades include inaugural selection as one of the top 12 professors in the UT System Academy of Distinguish Teachers and the Piper Professor of Texas. Outside of the UT system, Dr. Crow was honored to be named Woman of the Year by the Business and Professional Women’s Club, the Face of Arlington by the Arlington Daily News, the Female Newsmaker of the Year by the Arlington Citizen Journal, as well as to the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. She was further recognized by Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who Among Human Services Professionals, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education, and Who’s Who in the South and Southwest.
