| Dr. Walter O. Cralle graduated with
baccalaureate and masters degrees from the University of Oklahoma and
earned his Ph.D at the University of Minnesota. He came to
Missouri State University in 1925 and, after only four years,
was appointed Head of the then Department of Sociology and Economics.
He served in that capacity for 32 years until his retirement in
1961. His contributions to the university went far beyond his
duties within the Department. Dr. Cralle also worked with the
tennis program and the debate and speech teams in his early years at the
university. |
 Dr. Cralle's colleagues remember his as a warm, generous, compassionate man whom people enjoyed being around. He was thought of as a person-oriented sociologist and a sensitive, sympathetic teacher. Students appreciated his sense of humor and they liked to be in his classes. One particular incident symbolizes the fondness that students felt for Dr. Cralle. In October of 1955, a group of sociology majors transferred Dr. Cralle's Austine automobile from the parking lot to the top steps of the entrance to what is now McDonald arena. This playful gesture signifies the special relationship that Dr. Cralle was able to forge with his students. Only those who liked him would dare do something like that! Dr. Cralle was actively involved in the South Street Christian Church and a number of civic organizations. Throughout his years at Missouri State, Dr. Cralle's community service helped improve the quality of life for the residents of Springfield. His involvement within the community also improved the public's image of the university, which was sometimes thought of as little more than a normal school. |
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Even after retiring from Missouri State in his late sixties, Dr. Cralle continued to display an uncommon commitment to people and to education. He spent the next several years teaching at a small college in Anchorage, Alaska. He did that, in part, because there was a severe shortage of teachings in that area, and because he wanted to help reduce the problem of alcoholism among some Eskimo tribes. The then Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work established a scholarship in Dr. Cralle's name in 1982. After Social Work became an independent department, the Cralle Scholarship was limited to Sociology and Anthropology and, since its creation in 1987, has expanded to include the Crime and Society program's students. Scholarships are awarded annually to students who have consistently demonstrated high academic achievement and service to the department, university, and community. A scholarship in his name is a fitting tribute to Dr. Cralle, to his 36 years of dedicated service to Missouri State, and to his lifelong commitment to bettering the quality of life for members of society. The Department is grateful to the family members of Dr. Cralle for their continuing support of the scholarship and the students it benefits. |