R.I. Rep. Paul Crowley remembered by URI administrators for dedication to university

10/2/07 - Rep. Paul Crowley certainly was not a well-known name on the University of Rhode Island campus, but his contributions to Rhode Island education in the state House of Representatives will always be remembered.Crowley, a Democrat from Newport and URI alumnus, died Sept. 24 from skin cancer. He was 57 and left behind his wife, daughter and two sons. He was the longest serving Democrat in the Rhode Island House.

URI President Robert L. Carothers was a pallbearer at Crowley's funeral, which Crowley was able to plan before his death. For 17 years Carothers and Crowley worked together and became close friends.

"He was the one champion we could always count on to support the university," Carothers said.

Crowley held a special place in his heart for URI. He graduated in 1972, and has supported the school ever since.

During his time in the House of Representatives, Crowley became a senior member of the Finance Committee, which helped him to fund the university. His seniority made Crowley a valuable ally in the Rhode Island Statehouse.

"He always helped us on the appropriations bills," university Vice President of Administration Robert Weygand said. Due to his seniority on the committee, he had more leverage than most representatives.

Weygand graduated with Crowley from URI in 1972. He did not know him then, but met him in 1984 while serving with him in the Statehouse.

"You couldn't get a better friend," Weygand said.

He was always a supportive friend to Weygand, who knew him for years while a state representative and continued to work with Crowley while Weygand was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"He was always around," Weygand added.

Crowley became a champion for education in Rhode Island during his time in office. Carothers said that Crowley was a self-taught expert, who went to conferences and spoke with teachers and students to help educate himself.

"In some ways his most important achievements were not at URI, but at the K-12 level," Carothers said.

He continued, and said Crowley had pushed for the SALT Survey, which assesses schools throughout Rhode Island on a yearly basis by having parents, teachers and students fill out anonymous surveys.

Carothers added that Crowley supported the new building projects on campus and worked diligently for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Carothers remembered Crowley as not only a university partner but also as a friend.

"He wasn't pompous," Carothers said. "He never needed to be in the limelight."

Weygand added that Crowley did "A lot of things [for URI] that don't appear in legislation or in appropriation."

The president of the university remembers Crowley as a man who was outgoing, vivacious and always laughing. Carothers told a story of Crowley singing at his wedding.

"Crowley was a great Irishman ... that's how he ended up singing at my wedding even though he wasn't on the program," Carothers said.

Weygand told a story about Crowley two weeks before his death. While Weygand was visiting Crowley, three Irish musicians, whom Crowley had supported during their early days, came and played for more than an hour. Soon, Crowley's daughter and his two grandchildren began to dance to the music. It was Crowley's genuine joy at that moment that Weygand will always remember the former representative for.

Carothers also remembers Crowley's staunch support of new alcohol policies introduced at URI. Despite Crowley owning the La Forge Casino Restaurant in Newport, he was still a supporter of the measures meant to curb underage drinking.

When Carothers last spoke to Crowley, it wasn't about URI or even education that they spoke about.

It was about rugby. Crowley had just finished a novel and screenplay about a Notre Dame rugby team and implored Carothers to see his book and movie made.

"Paul was a big guy in rugby," Carothers said.