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Thomas B. Crawford, son of John and Mable Barnes Crawford was born on November 21, 1903 in Olean, New York. He was the oldest of seven siblings.

He was raised in Lancaster, N.Y where his father was a barber. Thomas spent his adult life in Buffalo, New York where he was active in Republican politics for 45 years until his death on January 25th, 1977 at Deaconess Hospital after a short illness.

In his younger days, Mr. Crawford played the Banjo with several of the local big bands. He was a member of the Buffalo Colored Musicians Union. In 1937 he became interested in politics and became active in the First District of the 5th Ward where he served as Republican Committeeman. In the 1940s he became the Ward Chairman of that district and held that position for 20 years.

In 1933 Thomas Crawford was the second African American from Western New York to serve as a clerk in the New York State Assembly. In the early 1950s he became the first African American in Buffalo to work for the Erie County Board of Elections. He held that position until he retired in the 1970s.

For many years, Thomas Crawford was an Officer and Manager of the Lincoln Club, a political social club located on Clinton Street.

Mr. Crawford was married to Evelyn Collins and was the father of two stepchildren Gwendolyn and Victor. Surviving siblings at the time of his death were Mable Harrison, Cerise Jones, William Crawford, Iris Johnson, John Crawford and Paul Crawford.

The funeral was held at the Cecil Brown Funeral Home on Friday, January 28th at the height of the Blizzard of 1977.