John E. Crowther

Academic Life

John went up to Durham in 1961 to study Mathematics at University College. He was a keen soccer player and achieved his colours in the College team. John was Treasurer of the Mathematics Club and involved in several groups and undergraduate societies.

Professional life

After leaving Durham, John moved down to Leeds where he completed a Masters and PhD in Mathematical Physics and in Mathematics, before completing a postdoctoral fellowship with English Electric. He has held the position of Production Manager for Mars Inc., and later worked for Avon Products in business systems. In 1973, John re-located to the United States, joining Revlon Inc. in New York where he rose to become a Corporate Vice President.  In 1982, John was awarded an APC from New York University Graduate School of Business. John founded two independent corporations, Dunelm International in 1988, and later in a partnership with Professor Sir Ian Wilson of GMAP Inc., founded Geomodel Inc. in 1989. Geomodel was sold in the early 1990s, but John is still actively engaged with Dunelm International.

Social and Family life

John now lives in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania with his American wife, Steffie, who is the Senior Major Gifts Officer at Ursinus College, a local liberal arts college. They have two children: a daughter, Ludmila, who is a student at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and a son, Julian, who attends The Haverford Boys School. John is a member of the Episcopal Church in Bryn Mawr.  John's family founded and supports bursaries and fellowships both at Leeds University and at University College, Durham. John is proud to have been involved on advisory committees at the New York City YMCA and to have sponsored an underprivileged family under the auspices of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project. John became the founding President of the North American Foundation for the University of Leeds in 1989, and since 1993, he has served as a founding Director of DunelmUSA (NAFUD). An avid runner, including several marathons in the early 1980s, John still runs several miles daily, skis whenever he has the opportunity, plays  tennis, cycles, and enjoys the occasional game of golf.