Floyd E. and Judith A. Crowder

“He just pulled himself up by his bootstraps to take advantage of every opportunity he was offered that might further his education,” remembers Judith, who was married to Floyd for 48 years. “It was almost a miracle he got to where he did.”

Floyd was born in Illinois in 1933 during the Great Depression. To help heat the family home, Floyd had to walk railroad tracks with a bucket to collect coal, fallen from passing coal cars, for the stove. In high school, he worked nights at an auto plant to help cover bills, which often left him fighting fatigue in class. Although Floyd earned mixed grades due to his exhaustion, his mother always encouraged him to pursue his academic dreams.

As a result of that encouragement and his own persistence, Floyd became the first member of his family to attend college. He went to the University of Illinois for a year, leveraged that success to transfer to WashU to complete his bachelor’s degree, and ultimately attended WashU Law. Mastering grueling law courses brought him lifelong pride, as did finishing at the top of his class in tax law. He credited his mentor, the late WashU Law Professor, Charles Wendell Carnahan, with helping him hone the reasoning skills that enabled him to pass both the Missouri and Illinois bar exams and that served him well throughout his legal career.

After graduating in 1957, Floyd practiced briefly in St. Louis and then served for three years as a judge advocate general in the U.S. Air Force. He concluded his military career as a captain with military honors.

Floyd returned to his civilian law career, eventually setting up shop in Columbia, Illinois. His firm offered comprehensive services to clients that ranged from corporations to those of modest means. Floyd’s guiding philosophy was that if you retained him, you were a priority and respected, regardless of your financial resources. His firm’s success grew, but his philosophy always remained the same.

That mindset served him well as he ran for State’s Attorney in Monroe County, Illinois. At that time, he was on crutches due to an auto accident, but he soldiered on to knock on doors and meet voters, one of whom was a beautiful woman named Judith Easton. Floyd later said that he was instantly smitten. Disheveled from campaigning, it was not the right moment for a romantic impression, but Floyd persisted in wooing Judith. They eventually married at Graham Chapel and ultimately welcomed five children, one of whom formed her own connections to WashU.

Their daughter Andrea planned to pursue a career in social work but changed course and decided on law instead. She considered St. Louis University, but Floyd’s affinity for WashU Law prevailed, and on Easter 1994, Andrea told her parents she was headed to WashU. She recalls her father bragging endlessly to friends and colleagues.

Not long after, Floyd and Judith solidified their commitment to WashU and formalized their planned gift commitment to the Law School Building Fund. As a student, Andrea felt self-conscious when studying or meeting friends in the courtyard bearing her family name, but now, 30 years after his generous planned gift, Judith and Andrea enjoy what Crowder Courtyard captures about Floyd, who loved visiting courtyards on his travels. In the years after Crowder Courtyard opened, he would sometimes anonymously slip in while attending campus functions, delighting in seeing students relax and socialize in the space.

He would have appreciated the words of Leora Joseph, a WashU Law student who entered in fall 2024. Interviewed in the courtyard, she said, “I feel happy to have such a beautiful space where I can say I belong. I feel empowered to do all the hard work that comes with being a law student, and hopefully in the future, I can put that back out into the rest of the world.”

Stefanie A. Lindquist, Nickerson Dean and professor of law at WashU Law, reinforces the courtyard’s ability to foster a sense of belonging and empowerment. “Crowder Courtyard is where generations of students, alumni, and faculty make friends and advance the law. It creates a warm environment at the law school, fostering a community of creative legal minds who share a dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and justice. The generosity of alumni like Floyd and Judith Crowder ensures collaboration within the community of WashU Law, inspiring a more promising future for all.”

Building on the enduring impact of generous donors like the Crowders, WashU’s alumni and community partners play a vital role in sustaining this bold commitment. Through their continued philanthropic investment, they equip future leaders with the tools to begin their journeys at WashU, ensuring that the legacy of generosity not only endures but also expands with each new generation, empowering the future-ready leader in every student.