David A. Crane ’48

David A. Crane ’48, former dean of architecture at Rice University, died May 20, 2005, in Charlottesville,Va. He founded and headed the Rice Center for Community Design and Research, which he called a “teaching hospital for graduate architectural and design students.” He also established the Rice Design Alliance, a nonprofit group dedicated to advancement of architecture and urban design. His organization, the Crane Design Group, focused on urban design projects in Texas and elsewhere. In 1986, Crane joined the University of South Florida in Tampa as professor of architecture and community design. He retired in 2002. Late in his career, Crane became interested in designing buildings and cities that conserve energy and water. Before serving in the Navy in the closing days of the war, Crane attended Davidson and was a fullback on the football team. He earned an architecture degree from Georgia Tech in 1950 and, two years later, a master’s degree in city planning from Harvard. In addition to his son, Matthew L. Crane, 4223 Earlysville Rd, Earlysville, Va. 22936, he is survived by his former wife, Bonnie Loyd Crane, of Wellesley, Mass.; daughters Melinda Crane, of Berlin, Germany, and Amanda Crane, of Los Angeles; a brother, Sid Crane ’40, of Indianapolis; and a sister, Louise Crane, of Charlottesville, Va.