College of Professional Studies Recipients
Leadership Excellence Award
DR. TIMOTHY J. CRAIN, ARTS '87, GRAD '90
Eagle, Wis.
Tim has been told he teaches like a Jesuit, a compliment for somebody who has worked in higher education for 19 years and serves as director of the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education and an assistant professor of history at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Penn.
“I owe a tremendous debt to Marquette for the excellent education I received as an undergraduate and graduate student,” he says. “Marquette stressed the importance of striving for excellence, as well as making faith and ethical conduct the foundation of one's being.”
As director of the NCCHE, Tim hopes to expand the center on a more national basis, continuing the work of its founders, Sister Noel Kernan, SC, and Sister Gemma Del Duca, SC, in response to Pope John Paul II encouraging Catholics to learn about the Holocaust and counter anti-Semitism. The NCCHE has been open for more than 27 years, and this year the center is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, or In Our Time, the Second Vatican Council document that was a major step in improving Jewish-Christian relations.
Previously, Tim was an adjunct professor in the College of Professional Studies. In 2010, he received the college’s Excellence in Service Award and, in 2000, the university’s Outstanding Teaching Award.
Known for his community involvement, Tim also worked extensively in outreach, grant writing, programming and bridge building with the Jewish community of southeastern Wisconsin. He served on the Holocaust Executive Board of Milwaukee and worked with Jewish Wisconsin Educational tours to recruit participants and lead tours for Jewish community members to Ireland, Britain, Spain, Central Europe and Israel. He also was a popular lecturer and guest speaker in Milwaukee.
Fun Facts
Your hometown: Milwaukee
Your favorite book or favorite quote: “In life, it is not important if you get knocked down; what is important is that you get back up." — Vince Lombardi
Name someone (past or present) with whom you'd like to have dinner: “Eleanor Roosevelt.”
Marquette faculty or staff member who had an impact on you, and how: “There were three Marquette professors who had a tremendously positive impact on my life: Dr. Michael Phayer, Dr. Ralph Weber and Rev. Francis Paul Prucha, S.J. I have received exceptional guidance and advice from all three professors, not only during my undergraduate and graduate years, but throughout my life. I am very fortunate to have been associated with these three gentlemen.”
What is one of your favorite Marquette memories? “Being with my Pius XI friends at O'Donoghue's Irish Pub on Wells Street.”
When you were in grade school, what did you want to be when you grew up? “I wanted to play football for the Green Bay Packers.”
Who is your Marquette legacy? “My relatives and family members overwhelmingly attended the University of Wisconsin. Therefore, I am a black sheep as the sole Marquette alumnus.”
Who has been the most influential person in your life, and why? “My parents John Arthur and Mary Frances Crain were the most influential people in my early life, and I could never repay my mom and dad for all of the sacrifices made on my behalf. My wife Paula has been my soul mate and a continual inspiration, and I am very fortunate to have her in my life. Our daughter, Kennedy, and sons, Jack and Carson, are also a great blessing.”
