Dr. J. Page Crouch, alumni professor emeritus of graphic communications at Clemson University, Clemson, SC, was inducted into Flexographic Technical Association’s Hall of Fame. Installation came before a crowd of nearly 1,000 at a gala awards banquet, held in conjunction with FTA’s Annual Forum. Crouch became the 52nd member of the prestigious body.

The self-professed “student of printing,” taught for 30+ years and later started his own consulting business—Print Education & Training LLC. Flexography and every other form of printing has been one of his passions—decade after decade—totaling some 50 years.

Born Feb. 3, 1942 in San Diego, CA., he was reared by parents James E. Crouch, a college professor who taught biology and anatomy at San Diego State and Mary Page Crouch.

Page Crouch graduated from San Diego State College, where he cut his own teaching teeth for two years as a graduate assistant. He moved on to a high school position for two years in Columbia, MO., while pursuing his doctorate (EDD) at the University of Missouri. Page and his wife Diane married in 1965 and upon graduation, in 1968, migrated to Clemson, where Page made his mark.

To this day, he is widely credited with leading the development of the school’s graphic communications program. He dedicated a career to preparing students for the printing and packaging industries, and was responsible for the development of the University’s hands-on industry training programs used by employers across the globe.

Under his tutelage, Clemson University developed a flexo capability that it describes as “second to none in an American educational setting.” Offset, gravure and screen printing were also found on Dr. Crouch’s list of courses and syllabi that he assembled.

Service to FTA
Speaker, committee member, researcher, judge, instructor, author and member of the board of directors—all were roles that Page Crouch filled in volunteer service to FTA over the course of his career. While each contributed to his election to the Hall of Fame, several brought him recognition.

For example, in summer 1984, Page debuted his “Educators’ Challenge.” It was a two-week scholarship funded seminar that he taught and labeled the “Summer Institute in Flexography.” The purpose: to motivate other instructors, expose them to real world situations, get them and keep them excited about flexography and what it had to offer to their students. It was an early workshop in a long line. Other examples include 1989’s “Process Printing by Flexography” and 1993’s “Corrugated Graphics and Color Symposium.

Co-sponsored industry workshops, involving Clemson University’s Graphic Communications Department and FTA became a mainstay of both Crouch’s legacy and resume.

Page was an active member of FTA’s Process Color Standards Committee, FlexSys Advisory Committee and served as an Excellence in Flexography Awards competition judge and a two-term member of FTA’s Board of Directors and its Foundation’s Board of Trustees (1987-1993).

His work with the FlexSys Advisory Committee was responsible for his selection as a recipient of FTA’s 1993 President’s Award. That year, he was instrumental in research work—Ftrop, and briefed the findings of this parallel project to Flexo Quality Consortium work at Forum 1994.

Oratory skills were exemplified beyond the Clemson classroom as Page took to the stage at Forum 1989 to deliver an address: “Statistical Process Control for Web Printers—How to Measure the Flexographic Process.” He followed that up in 1993 with yet another presentation, “UV Flexo: An Educator’s Viewpoint.” His most famous work when putting pen to paper: “Flexo Primer.”

Career highlights
At one point or another, Page Crouch has been honored by the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen, National Association for Printing Leadership, International Publishing Management Association, Printing Industries Association of the Carolinas, Printing Industries Association of Georgia, Education Council of the Graphic Arts and Graphic Arts Sales Foundation.

Counted among significant milestones: his 1994 induction into the Academy of Screen Printing Technology and 2007 installation into NAPL’s Walter E. Soderstrom Society.

Beyond FTA, he was long active in the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters, Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, The Association for the Pulp and Paper Industry, Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, Gravure Association of America, Envelope Manufacturers Association, International Graphic Arts Education Association, International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking, International Corrugated Packaging Foundation and the Specialty Graphics Imaging Association.