Robert A. Crowder
Encyclopedia
Robert Austin "Bob" Crowder (born January 29, 1901, died November 26, 1955) was a Ranger
in Minden
, Rusk County, Texas
who was posthumously installed in the Ranger Hall of Fame
in May, 1982.
from 1921 to 1925. After leaving the Marines he joined the Dallas Police Department as a motorcycle officer in 1925. In 1930 he transferred to the Texas Highway Department and in 1917 received his Ranger commission and served in Company B. Crowder became captain of Company C in Lubbock
in 1948 but transferred back to Company B in 1951 to live in Dallas
. In 1956, he was made Acting Chief of the Texas Rangers. In 1960 he took a cut in pay to return to his favorite post as Captain of Company B from which he retired in 1969.
ed and took a staff member hostage
, Captain Crowder entered the hospital unarmed, securing the hostage's release and ending the riot, which resulted in his death.
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
in Minden
Minden, Texas
Minden is an unincorporated community in Rusk County, Texas, United States. It has possessed a post office since 1850....
, Rusk County, Texas
Rusk County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 19,867 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
who was posthumously installed in the Ranger Hall of Fame
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas, is the state-designated official historical center of the famed Texas Rangers law enforcement agency. It consists of the Homer Garrison, Jr. museum gallery, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, the Texas Ranger Research Center and the Headquarters...
in May, 1982.
Career
Crowder served in the Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
from 1921 to 1925. After leaving the Marines he joined the Dallas Police Department as a motorcycle officer in 1925. In 1930 he transferred to the Texas Highway Department and in 1917 received his Ranger commission and served in Company B. Crowder became captain of Company C in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
in 1948 but transferred back to Company B in 1951 to live in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. In 1956, he was made Acting Chief of the Texas Rangers. In 1960 he took a cut in pay to return to his favorite post as Captain of Company B from which he retired in 1969.
Notable events
In 1955, when the inmates at the Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane riotRiot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
ed and took a staff member hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
, Captain Crowder entered the hospital unarmed, securing the hostage's release and ending the riot, which resulted in his death.