Colonel Charles William "Bill" Crafton
Colonel Charles William “Bill” Crafton was born on March 3rd, 1927. A native of Owensboro, Kentucky, Bill lived there most of his life. He attended Owensboro High School, lettering in both basketball and football. After graduating in 1944, he came to WKU. While on the Hill, he completed Infantry ROTC and played basketball under legendary coach E.A. Diddle. He earned his degree in 1948.
As a boy, Bill earned the rank of Eagle Scout. As a young man, he was the waterfront director for the Camp Gunther Hogg Boy Scout camp in Eastern Daviess County, Kentucky, and an instructor at the Boy Scout Aquatic School in Toledo, Ohio. In 1949, he became the first manager of the newly opened Owensboro Sportscenter swimming pool. He continually remained active in the Boy Schools throughout adulthood, earning the Silver Beaver Award, the highest award in scouting.
Bill was then commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army Infantry. In 1951, he was mobilized and deployed to Korea, where he was a Heavy Mortar Platoon leader in the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for valor during active combat with an enemy of the United States.
After returning from Korea, he remained in the United States Army Reserve, most of which was with the 100th Division, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. While with the 100th Division, he served as a company, battalion, and brigade commander. He retired in 1981, in the grade of Colonel as the Assistant Division Commander. In addition to the Bronze Star, he was also awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with 3 Campaign Stars, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Bronze hourglass device, the United Nations Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Bill went back to work with his father at Crafton’s LP Gas Company and was very involved in the state LP Gas Association. He held the title of vice president on two separate occasions. After selling their company to Pargas, Inc. in 1965, Bill managed the local Pargas operation until 1980, when he was promoted to Vice President and Division Manager, which required him to move to Waldorf, Maryland. After his retirement in 1986, he and his wife, Ida Mae Crafton, moved back to Owensboro.
Both Bill and Ida were devoted to the university. Many of their nieces and nephews climbed the Hill, as did their son, Lieutenant Colonel William Toby Crafton, who graduated in 1980. Bill and Ida had two children, Dr. Terry Crafton and Lieutenant Colonel William Toby Crafton, and were married for many years until his passing April 23, 2014 and hers on June 30, 2019.
To honor his memory, Bill’s family established the Colonel Charles William Crafton Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund assists deserving full-time WKU students who are participants in the ROTC program and have at least a 3.0 GPA. Preference is given to graduates of Owensboro High School or residents of
Daviess County, Kentucky and/or those who are majoring in mathematics. Through this fund, Bill’s legacy lives on in perpetuity.