William R. Crout

William Raymond Crout, Scholar and Founder/Curator of the Paul Tillich Lectures at Harvard University, died peacefully on February 11, 2015 at the deRham House in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after suffering from a recently diagnosed cancer. He was 85. Mr. Crout was born in Mize, Mississippi on April 6, 1929, and raised in nearby Raleigh. His father, Horace Francis Crout, was a businessman and farmer, and his mother, Cavie Jewell Clark, was an accomplished pianist. A lover of locomotives, as a small child, he would listen for the trains whistle and hurry to the stationhouse to meet it, thereby mastering one of lifes greatest skills: to listen carefully and be on time for that which one loves. He graduated from Raleigh High School as the Valedictorian of his 1945 class, going on to obtain a Bachelors Degree with Highest Honors from Millsaps College in the subjects of Philosophy and Music. He subsequently attended Boston University School of Theology and later the Chaloff School of Music in Boston. While a college student he represented the state of Mississippi in the Associated Concert Bureau of New Yorks National Piano Finals, performing at Carnegie Hall. He also appeared as a Soloist in Symphony Hall, Boston. From 1951-1955, he served in the Navy in Fighter Squadron 22 as a Chaplains Assistant and Personnelman, traveling the world aboard an aircraft carrier. Mr. Crout then returned to the United States to enroll in the graduate program at Harvard Divinity School, beginning a life-long association with the University. He became a devoted pupil, editorial assistant and translator to the celebrated German theologian and Harvard University Professor, Paul Tillich, whose religious philosophy became a great directive force in Mr. Crouts life, and whose teachings he would undertake to keep alive and relevant in the present world. He continued his study of Tillichs work after the theologians death in 1965, conducting research, writing and editing scholarly work and remaining active in the community of thinkers concerned with the theologians philosophy, including the North American Paul Tillich Society (NAPTS). In addition to his scholarly work regarding Tillich, he also taught in the Humanities and Philosophy departments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning the Everett Moore Baker Award for Outstanding Teaching in 1970. In 1990, under the sponsorship of the University Marshals office, Mr. Crout founded the Tillich Lecture series at Harvard University. At the time, many considered Harvard to be a purely intellectual, secular institution; Mr. Crout fostered the scholarship and work of the great German theologian in response to that perception. The continuing series has included many prominent, internationally renowned thinkers from diverse disciplines, including pastor Eberhard Bethge, literary critic George Steiner, biologist E.O. Wilson, author Karen Armstrong, Islamic philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr, psychoanalyst Ann Belford Ulanov, and, most recently, author James Carroll. Bill Crout was a devoted keeper of the flame. Almost alone, he created and directed and found funds for a lecture series at Harvard to keep alive the ideas of the important theologian Paul Tillich, said retired University Marshal Rick Hunt. It was a remarkable achievement he gave to the university he loved. Mr. Crout was known for his expansive knowledge of details of the life and thought of Tillich, and delivered a memorable address in 2006 to the Annual Banquet of the Society on the topic of Tillichs Harvard years, said Charles Fox, President of the NAPTS. For me Bill Crout was a dear friend and academic colleague for almost 55 years. His death is a profound loss to the World of Tillich scholarship. Over six decades, Mr. Crout would fill a diverse number of roles at Harvard and at the Universitys Memorial Church, from directing the Church School to serving as Assistant to the Minister, to teaching appointments in General Education and in the Medical School. For many years, under the auspices of the University Marshals office, Mr. Crout was responsible for the care and special needs of the honorary degree candidates at Harvards annual commencement exercises. Mr. Crout had a long-standing passion for and knowledge of Asian art. He was interested in Asian philosophy and the notion of chi in Chinese and Japanese painting and ceramics. He was an avid collector and was often drawn to damaged pieces; he was able to see beauty and the spirit of perfection in compromised artwork if the essential elements existed. In this way he was both demanding and forgiving, a reflection of the person he was. In addition to his knowledge of theology, philosophy, classical music and Asian art, for twenty-two years, Mr. Crout convened and led the Cambridge Writers Group, a circle of writers and poets that met monthly to discuss, review and edit their work. Meetings commenced with coffee, pastries and colorful criticism of political and cultural affairs. He relished the opportunity to utilize his editorial skills and wide knowledge for the benefit of the members, who appreciated his ability to give detailed, honest critiques while honoring the vulnerability of the artist during the creative process. He nurtured the talents of these writers with love and intellect, encouraging all through his ability to perceive a manuscripts broad intent while simultaneously detecting errors in grammar, punctuation, and character development. The groups work resulted in numerous published short stories, novels, poems, articles and essays. In the last decade of his life, Mr. Crout was a faithful member of Harvards Lowell House Senior Common Room. He befriended many undergraduate and graduate students who regarded him as a mentor, adviser, friend and guide and were deeply touched by their conversations with him. He was known to have the ability to make every individual feel special, and, particularly for those religiously inclined, to provide spiritual fellowship and counsel. Mr. Crout was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Frances Deer, and niece, Jackie Reynolds. He is survived by his brother, Robert, nephews Mike Crout and Kirby Deer, nieces Mary Schooley, Laura Zuber and Marie Schilling, and a wide and diverse group of friends, colleagues, and mentees who will miss forever his cultured grace, keen intelligence, and caring regard in their lives. Interment will be in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A memorial service at Harvard Universitys Memorial Church will be held in Mr. Crouts honor this Spring. Mr. Crout was a devoted member of the parish of Christs Church Episcopal, Cambridge.