Welles Crowther
Encyclopedia
Welles Remy Crowther is best known for saving at least a dozen lives during the September 11 attacks in New York City
.
where he was an honor roll student and later attended Boston College
, where he earned a B.A.
in economics
in 1999. One of his prized possessions, which he carried everywhere, was a red bandana given to him by his father. He played a number of sports including lacrosse
, ice hockey
, and soccer. Crowther was also camper at Camp Becket
YMCA
in Becket, MA, a boy scout in his youth and a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Nyack
.
on the 104th floor of the South Tower. Witnesses report that after the plane hit, Crowther, with a red bandanna covering his mouth and nose to protect him from debris, reentered the building at least three times to rescue people. He is directly responsible for saving the lives of at least 12 people. Among those rescued include Judy Wein and Ling Young, the latter of whom keeps a picture of him in her house. Crowther, with members of the FDNY
, had been on their way back up the South Tower when it collapsed. Welles Crowther's dead body was found 6 months later on March 19, 2002
on the side of the lobby of the South Tower of World Trade Center
.
At the National 9/11 Memorial, Crowther is memorialized at the South Pool, on Panel S-50.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Early life
Crowther, the eldest of three children, was born in New York City, New York, on May 17, 1977 at Lying-In Hospital. He attended Nyack High SchoolNyack High School
Nyack High School is a secondary school serving parts of the Town of Orangetown and Town of Clarkstown, New York, United States. The old Nyack High School is now part of BOCES and the New Nyack High School is located just down the road at the corner of Christian Herald Road and Highland Avenue...
where he was an honor roll student and later attended Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, where he earned a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1999. One of his prized possessions, which he carried everywhere, was a red bandana given to him by his father. He played a number of sports including lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, and soccer. Crowther was also camper at Camp Becket
Camp Becket
Camp Becket, also known as Camp Becket-in-the-Berkshires, is a YMCA summer camp for boys in the Berkshires region of western Massachusetts. Founded in 1903 by George Hannum on Rudd Pond in Becket, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually running summer camp in the United States and is commonly...
YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
in Becket, MA, a boy scout in his youth and a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Nyack
Nyack, New York
Nyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack; east of Central Nyack; south of Upper Nyack and west of the Hudson River, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan boundary, it is an inner suburb of New...
.
September 11, 2001
Crowther worked for Sandler O'Neill and PartnersSandler O'Neill and Partners
Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P., is a full-service investment banking firm and broker-dealer focused on the financial services sector.Founded in 1988 by Herman S. Sandler and Thomas F.O'Neill along with several other executives from Wall Street firms, the firm provides investment banking services...
on the 104th floor of the South Tower. Witnesses report that after the plane hit, Crowther, with a red bandanna covering his mouth and nose to protect him from debris, reentered the building at least three times to rescue people. He is directly responsible for saving the lives of at least 12 people. Among those rescued include Judy Wein and Ling Young, the latter of whom keeps a picture of him in her house. Crowther, with members of the FDNY
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department of the City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response...
, had been on their way back up the South Tower when it collapsed. Welles Crowther's dead body was found 6 months later on March 19, 2002
on the side of the lobby of the South Tower of World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
Fund raisers
- The Welles Remy Crowther Red Bandana Run, 5k road race, is held annually at Boston College.
- Nyack High School holds an annual Varsity ice hockey game.
Honors
Crowther was named an honorary fire-fighter by Commissioner Nicholas ScoppettaNicholas Scoppetta
Nicholas Scoppetta served as the 31st Fire Commissioner of the City of New York. He was appointed to that position by Mayor Michael R...
.
At the National 9/11 Memorial, Crowther is memorialized at the South Pool, on Panel S-50.