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The background to the dr. Jim Crowley Memorial Lecture 2015
Dr Jim Crowley FCILT was an integral part of the Irish logistics and transport industry for over 25 years before his untimely death in 1999.
He was born in Cork and had his early education at Christian Brothers College before taking a rst step on the academic ladder by way of a B.E and M.Eng. Science degree at UCD.
He commenced his career working with CIE and that developed a lifelong interest in Transport, before he moved
to University College Dublin where he gained a Ph.D. in that subject. In 1976 he joined the Faculty of Commerce of UDC as a lecturer in Transport in the Department of Business Admin
His research and teaching in specialised and developing areas of transport and logistics led to a Professorship supported by a Chair funded by the Chartered Institute of Transport in Ireland. This academic achievement enabled him to establish a Master’s Degree in Transport in UCD which was a new subject to the Faculty of Commerce. He also championed the cause of Logistics as an important business subject and his advocacy was rewarded when it became a core subject in the University’s B. Com degree.
In addition to his teaching, Jim was extensively involved in Logistics & Transport studies in Ireland and internationally and carried out consultancy work for the European Commission for a number of Government Departments and state transport
companies. His long list of publications and studies provides a lasting record of both his academic achievements and his contribution to the development of transport research and logistics in Ireland.
Jim Crowley played a central role in the development of
the former Chartered Institute of Transport in Ireland, now
the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, where he successfully chaired its Education Committee. He brought a whole new emphasis and focus to the importance of education and training in the work of the Institute. During his time as Chairman of the Institute’s Eastern Section which he held in 1984, (see attached group Eastern Section Committee photo of 1985), he was responsible for establishing a Transport Innovator of the Year Award and this has been followed in turn every year to the present by the Easter Section Committee as the CILTI Annual Student of the Year Ideas Awards.
Following on his early death in 1999 and in order to mark his outstanding contribution to the Irish Logistics & Transport industries a biennial Jim Crowley Memorial Lecture was established in 2001 and supported jointly by UCD and CIT.
That event then continued to be held by CILTI in cooperation with UCD and is referred to in this year’s Lecture in the UCD Michael Smur t School of Business in Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock on 16th April 2015.
informative and were much appreciated by all those in attendance.
After the Q & A Session Finbar Cleary FCILT, President CILTI, made presentations to the speakers and the
family and the event concluded with Finger food, and refreshments being served in the College Foyer
Note -A copy of the full power point presentation can be provided by requesting same from Michael Lynham, Marketing Manager, CILTI, HQ.
In conclusion and as a follow up, due to Dr Crowley’s wife being unable to attend the lecture on the 16th April where the family was represented by his brother Jerry, Jim’s son Conor, daughter Carol, and baby grandson Jim, a separate low key event was organised in the Smur t Business School for midday of Wed. 17th June to present a special picture taken on the night of the Lecture. On that occasion Richelle was in a position to attend as was Jim’s other son Brian who was just back on a visit from the USA.
L-R: Conor Crowley, Joe Walsh FCILT, Finbarr Cleary FCILT, Carol Crowley and baby James, Enda Corneille, Prof. Brian Fynes FCILT and John Henry FCILT
The CharTered InsTITuTe of LogIsTICs & TransporT 31
dr. jIm CrOwLEY LECTurE