Ralph D. Cross
Dr. Ralph D. Cross was born on Dec. 31, 1931. He received his A.A. degree from Flint (Mich.) Community College in 1958, his A.B. from Eastern Michigan University in 1960, the M.A. from the University of Oklahoma in 1961, and his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1968. Ralph and Madolyn Cross were married on June 30, 1955.
Dr. Cross, now retired, was a geography professor at the University of Southern Mississippi. He began teaching at Southeast Missouri State College (1961-63), then worked as an assistant instructor at Michigan State University (1964-65), as a part-time instructor at Flint Community College (1965-66), as an assistant professor in the Division of Social Science at Northeastern Oklahoma College (1965-66), and as an assistant professor in the department of Geography at Oklahoma State University(1966-68). He worked as an assistant professor at Boston University from 1968 to 1971, at which time he became a professor at USM.
He is the author of such westerns as Denton's Army (Tower Books, 1979; Leisure Books, 1983), and Key to Murder (Tower Books, 1980). He also wrote Atlas of Mississippi (1974). His professional articles have appeared in School Science and Mathematics, The Southern Quarterly, The Mississippi Geographer, The National Weather Digest, Byline, The Mid-South Geographer, Climate and Human Ecology, Academic American Encyclopedia, The Book of Days, Community College Social Science Quarterly, Professional Geographer, the Hattisburg (Miss.) American, The New Book of Knowledge, and the bulletin of the Illinois Geographic Society.
Dr. Cross has been a member of WWA since 1985. He also holds memberships in American Water Resources Association, Association of American Geographers, Mississippi Academy of Sciences, Association of American Geographers (Southeastern Division), National Weather Association, Mystery Writers of America, and Write-on! Writers. His honors include a research award from The Southern Quarterly, and being elected to both Phi Kappa Phi and to Kappa Delta Pi.
Alvin Crow
Alvin Crow, band leader and master of the Western Swing fiddle, was born in Sweetwater, Oklahoma. Alvin began learning to fiddle when he was four years old, and his grandfather encouraged his parents to enroll him with a music teacher. He studied classical violin for the next 15 years, at the same time absorbing country fiddle music from his grandfather and uncles. From the age of eight he played fiddle with local bands.
Crow began writing songs when he was a teenager. He calls his own music "country," hard-core country as opposed to the pop-country tunes that are played on the radio. His repertoire ranges from Jimmy Rodgers to Bob Wills to Lefty Frizzell.
"What makes Texas fiddle unique," Crow says, " is the blues and jazz in the tunes. And couples-dancing is part of Texas music. In Texas we play polkas, waltzes, and breakdowns that have been slowed down so that the fiddler can improvise. That's what gives Texas fiddle music its special sound."
Crow and his band, "The Pleasant Valley Boys," record on Broken Spoke Records. They have three CDs and seven albums to their credit. His album "Cowboy One" is a compilation of old cowboy tunes that his great aunt taught him. His most recent CD is "Texas Classic". He and his band are based in Austin, Texas.
Homer Croy
(Deceased)
Homer Croy was the first graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. And, ironically, he was returning home from addressing a graduating class at the university when he died of a heart attack, in 1965, at the age of 82. Famous newsreel/radio commentator Lowell Thomas delivered the eulogy.
Nelson Nye called him "Homer of the Ready Wit" and said in memory of him, "I am reminded that years ago, when he wrote that first of the risque Westerns--West of the Water Tower--and received an offer from Hollywood, it was not because he wasn't flattered that Homer failed to answer; he simply didn't know what to say. He parlayed this silence through months of figure raising into a considerable fortune before, aghast, he finally sent off a letter of acceptance" (The Roundup, Aug., 1965; includes Croy's photo).
James A. Crutchfield
James A. Crutchfield is a systems analyst who once worked for Opryland, USA in Nashville, TN. He is the Historical Editor for Muzzle Blasts. He is a cartographer, illustrator, and has written 260 aired scripts for "Yesteryear in Nashville". He has written 9 books, including The Natchez Trace (Rutledge Hill Press, 1985) and Timeless Tennesseans (Strode, 1984). His articles have also appeared in Blackpowder Annual.
This listing is far from complete and may contain errors.
Therefore, all Western entertainers and/or their agents
are requested to submit recommended changes by
contacting Stan Paregien through his e-mail address.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies procliam the work of his hands.
--- Bible: Psalm 19:1
© 2003 by Stan Paregien, Sr.