John Crowe

John Crowe came to Florida State University in 1965 on a football scholarship and quickly made his mark both on the field and in the classroom. A standout safety for the Seminoles, he earned All-South honors in 1968 and was later inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame. As a student leader, he served as president of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, ROTC wing commander and was recognized with membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa and Garnet and Gold Key.
After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics, Crowe was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, serving as a pilot and retiring as a lieutenant colonel and senior pilot. A Vietnam veteran, he flew missions around the world, taught mathematics at the U.S. Air Force Academy Prep School and served as an assistant football and basketball coach.
Following his military career, Crowe entered the forest products industry, holding leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, Weyerhaeuser and Buckeye Technologies. He rose to chairman of the board and CEO of Buckeye, leading the company until its 2013 merger with Georgia-Pacific. He has since consulted, authored books—including FSU’s Sons of the Sixties – A Case for the Defense and Living in the Cloud: Lessons from the Streets—and remained an active supporter of FSU.
Crowe has served on the boards of Seminole Boosters, the Varsity Club, the Emeriti Alumni Society at FSU and the College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Council. With his wife, Betty, he has established multiple scholarships supporting athletics, academics and military programs. His service and philanthropy have been recognized with the Circle of Gold and the Commitment to Excellence Award.