Confessions of a Physical Chemist

Dr. Gene A. Crowder grew up in a small town in rural Oklahoma and went on to serve as the chemistry department head at both West Texas State University and Louisiana Tech University, publishing 170 research papers in the field of mass spectrometry and attracting over $1 million in research grants. He was a student favorite, having a gift for teaching, one of the few professors that made college about the students. This connection to the students led him to come out of retirement two additional times to teach at the University of Texas at Arlington and at Tarrant County Community College.

This is his personal and professional memoir, stories of rural struggle and hard work, family, ambition, education, independence, success, and faith. It is the story of his family, both growing up and as a grown-up, and it is a story about his experiences in the classroom and in the lab. It is a collection of the stories that made him the man he was, and of the people whose lives he touched. Well respected by everyone he met and one of the smartest and most faithful men to be put in the position to help shape future generations. He was proof that a man of science can be a man of faith, or better yet, that a man of faith can also be a man of science.

These "confessions" will be enjoyed by all, whether or not you personally knew him, because his voice comes through with all of its reason, wit, sense of humor, honesty, and occasional irreverence. You will also get to hear from some of his students in their own words as they provided their comments on their professor and course evaluations over the course of his career.