| Overall UK Wins: 52 | Overall UK Losses: 11 | Win % 82.5 |
Date of Birth: November 22, 1924
Date of Death: May 24, 1996
Hometown: Beech Grove, TN
Alma Mater: Middle Tennessee State

For a generalized listing of officials, please consult this page.

Obituary - The Tennessean (May 25, 1996)

Crowell, Veteran Official, Dies at 71

by Chuck Morris

Burrell Crowell, one of the best-known high school and college officials in the state, died yesterday at 71 after a long bout with cancer.

Crowell, of Manchester, Tenn., officiated high school basketball gams for 43 years. He also worked basketball games in the Ohio Valley Conference, Southeastern Conference, Southwest Conference, Sun Belt Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and Metro Conference.

"I've heard him say that the greatest thing about athletics is friendship," said TSSAA Executive Director Ronnie Carter. "Everybody at our program has truly lost a great friend."

Jimmy Earle, former basketball coach and athletic director at Middle Tennessee State, called Crowell "a legend" who "gave so much of himself to athletics."

In his prime, Crowell was on of the most respected and busiest officials in college basketball. Crowell worked such a hectic college schedule that then-Kentucky Coach Joe B. Hall once joked that Crowell "is on TV more than Johnny Carson."

Services for Crowell will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Gilmore Funeral Home in Manchester. Visitation is tonight from 6-9. Names of survivors were unavailable last night.

Crowell was native of Rodeo, Calif. He graduated from Buchaan High School in Rutherford County. He spent 43 years in the teaching field after graduating from Middle Tennessee State and Peabody College.

Crowell spent much of that time as a principal at Beech Grove Junior High and Christiana High School in Rutherford County, McCord School and Connelly Junior High in Lewisburg, enn., and Tennessee Preparatory School.

Crowell was a 1985 inductee into the TSSAA Hall of Fame. Earlier this month, he was recognized by his alma mater, MTSU, with a Distinguished Alumni Award. He was honored by the state House of Representatives for his career in education and sports.

Crowell was also instrumental for the training of younger basketball officials.

"He's a big contributor," said Ralph Stout, longtime supervisor of officials for the OVC. "He was a great man and a great referee."

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