About Richard (Yogi) Crowe

The Richard (Yogi) Crowe Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to honor an Eastern Cherokee who struggled hard for his education and to encourage more Cherokee students to pursue graduate degrees.

Richard (Yogi) Crowe, a full-blooded Eastern Cherokee and a Vietnam veteran, attained his Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 1982. Faced with the responsibility of supporting a family and being a diabetic, it was not an easy task to reach his goal. In 1982, Mr. Crowe became Director of the American Indian Recruiting Program for the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He was well liked and his ability to relate to all people earned him the respect of professionals and adults. Back home in Cherokee, leaders in the community were approaching Mr. Crowe to run for Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in a few years. This attractive, full-blooded Cherokee became a role model for the young people.

Mr. Crowe was killed instantly in an automobile accident on May 25, 1983 at the age of 36. His untimely death saddened the many people who loved and respected him. Although he is no longer with us, we want to keep his memory alive. We need to remember his life as a model for the Cherokee young people.

Read more about Yogi Crowe.