Harold Craft Crump

Harold Craft Crump, a broadcasting legend, died Wednesday, July 12, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 91. Visitation is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday, July 28, 2023 at Second Presbyterian Church, 3511 Belmont Boulevard, Nashville with a memorial service to follow at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary. Harold was an ordained ruling elder in the PCUSA church and served most recently at Second Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Evelyn Graham will officiate. The service will be live streamed and can be viewed at AustinFuneralService.com.
Harold's work in the broadcasting industry spanned fifty years to include launching Oprah Winfrey's career and conceiving the expansion of Jerry Lewis' NYC Labor Day telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) adding 40 stations and comprising the Love Network. Harold loved everything Ole Miss, the NFL, a rare steak, absurdity (the master of one-liners), dogs (bulldogs, St. Bernards, especially Stonewall, a national model), haberdashery (he owned more than 400 cravats), sitting on a porch with a scotch and water (later fruit tea), and unfathomable amounts of ice cream.
Harold Crump was born on September 28, 1931 in Amory, Mississippi. A handsome, dapper, drawling Southern gentleman straight out of Central Casting, he was the child of Eva Craft and Harold William Crump. He entered ROTC at the University of Mississippi graduating with a degree in advertising. As a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, he was written up in the Stars and Stripes newspaper as the lowest ranking base commander in occupied Germany. He remained active in local veteran groups until his death.
After honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force, Harold answered a 1955 newspaper advertisement for a salesman at Nashville's WLAC-TV (now WTVF). This career shift turned out to be a perfect fit for an imaginative, enthusiastic, hardworking charmer. He went from account executive to national sales manager to general manager in fifteen years in Nashville. He went on to become group manager for the Hobby family in Texas and the Hubbard family in Minnesota and owner-operator at WCSC in Charleston, S.C. After retiring from Hubbard Broadcasting, Crump continued to represent the company on several boards including the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and the Broadcast Music Incorporation (BMI). He served on numerous boards including the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), and Muscular Dystrophy (MDA). He also served as President of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasting. In addition to a Peabody Award and Emmys, other honors bestowed on Crump included his 2003 induction into the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences followed in 2007 by installment in the Gold Circle for his 50 years in the television industry. Crump's name is among those industry giants etched on Nashville's BMI building.
In addition to wife Leigh Glenn, Crump is survived by his children Harry Crump, Bill Crump and Missy (Bob) Porter; a stepson Drew Gilmer; six grandchildren (a seventh preceded Crump in death as did her mother); four great-grandchildren and one crestfallen bulldog, Brewster.
In lieu of flowers, the family would ask that you please consider contributions to The Muscular Dystrophy Association or Second Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee.
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