Roy Crane Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in the Performing Arts

In 1965 alumnus Roy Crane gave The University of Texas at Austin an endowment to establish an award for creativity. “It is my wish,” he said, “that outstanding creative achievement, not scholarship, be considered in determining the recipient. This award is intended to encourage originality and creativity rather than pedantic excellence.”

The 2008 Roy Crane Award in the Arts is given to a student at UT Austin for unique, creative effort in the performing arts. An undergraduate or graduate student may compete for the award. The committee, which selects the winner, will give no weight to any entrant’s grade point average or other academic achievement. The award is $3,000.

To compete for the award, a student must be recommended by a faculty member of The University of Texas at Austin. The recommendation must be for one's creative effort while a student at UT Austin. A faculty member may nominate a student who is no longer at UT Austin, so long as the work to be considered was not eligible for a previous Roy Crane Award and was created while the student was registered at the University. Research or analysis does not qualify. No faculty member may nominate more than two students for the award.

2008 Roy Crane Award application (pdf)

ROY CRANE (1901-1977) is called the father of the adventure story cartoon strip. His first creation, “Wash Tubbs,” appeared in 1922. It was soon followed by “Buz Sawyer,” syndicated by King Features, which became world famous, appearing in more than 300 newspapers in the U.S. and being translated into more than ten languages.

The Louvre and the Smithsonian Institute have exhibited Crane’s work. He has been honored by many professional organizations, including the National Cartoonists Society, which gave him a “Ruben” in 1950 as cartoonist of the year.

Born in Abilene, Texas, Crane attended UT from 1919 to 1922. His wife, the former Evelyn Hatcher, was also a student here. Crane was art editor of the CACTUS yearbook and the LONGHORN, a student literary magazine that later merged with the RANGER, and he drew cartoons for the DAILY TEXAN.

His interest in The University of Texas at Austin continued throughout his life. In addition to establishing the award that bears his name, he presented a collection of his cartoons to the University Library. In 1969 he was named a Distinguished Alumnus by The University Ex-Students’ Association.

2007 Roy Crane Award in the Visual Arts recipient

2006 Roy Crane Award in the Literary Arts recipient

2005 Roy Crane Award in the Performing Arts recipient

2004 Roy Crane Award in the Visual Arts recipient