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Remembering Dave Crawford, founder of DarkSky International

Banner image of with a head shot of Dave Crawford
 Credit: DarkSky

The world recently lost a visionary in David L. Crawford, founder of DarkSky International (formerly the International Dark-Sky Association). While his passing marks the end of an era, his legacy lives on in the stars. Crawford’s lifelong dedication to promoting responsible outdoor lighting practices has led to healthier communities, more energy-efficient cities, and a new commitment to preserving the beauty of the night sky. In this tribute, co-founder Tim Hunter reflects on Crawford’s remarkable life and the enduring impact of his work.

Tim writes, “I personally consider Dave to be one of the greatest environmentalists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries,” and I wholeheartedly agree. Dave Crawford stands as one of the most influential environmental minds of our time, igniting a movement to protect and reclaim the night that continues to grow stronger and gain recognition worldwide. His tireless efforts have inspired generations to look up and value the starry skies above. For this enduring gift, we are forever grateful.

For and with the stars,

Ruskin Hartley
Executive Director
DarkSky International

David Crawford (Dave) was an incredible individual who blessed us all with his ideas, his optimism, and his kindness. Most importantly for me, he was a friend and colleague for almost 40 years. I feel immensely fortunate to have known him and his wonderful family. While we mourn his passing, we find solace in the memories of his impactful life.

Unfortunately, many people today are unable to experience the dark skies that were once common in the United States just a generation ago. When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s—I lived in the suburbs of Chicago and was more concerned about the elms blocking our view of the sky than I was about light pollution. The Milky Way was easily visible through the trees.  

In 1985, a fortunate tax return allowed me to fulfill my dream of chasing even darker skies by purchasing a small parcel of land and a new telescope in Tucson, Arizona. This marked the beginning of the Grasslands Observatory. As the observatory developed, I realized just how precious and fragile the resource of a pristine night sky is and how many poorly designed lights around town were continuing to impede our view of the stars. To my dismay, the University Medical Center (UMC) in Tucson converted its old dim globe-style lights into unshielded low-pressure sodium (LPS) lighting. I was aghast. The lights significantly degraded the quality of the night sky. Confused by this decision, I approached the hospital director, who informed me that it was astronomers who had recommended this lighting. This is what led to my first interaction with Dave. 

At that time, the Dark Sky Office at Kitt Peak National Observatory was headed by Dr. David Crawford, an internationally renowned astronomer known for leading the project for the largest telescope on Kitt Peak and for his pioneering work on stellar photometry. Professional astronomers favored LPS lighting for its nearly monochromatic spectrum, which they believed was easier to filter out. However, any unshielded fixture poses significant problems for amateur astronomers. I engaged in several meetings with Dr. Crawford and his colleague Bill Robinson, SR, to express my concerns about their lighting recommendations. What initially began as a contentious discussion gradually evolved into a friendship and a shared commitment to protecting the night sky.

Dave Crawford and Tim Hunter at a director’s meeting in Tucson, AZ, in 2013.

One day, while meeting with Dave, I wondered aloud why nobody was taking action against light pollution and light trespass. Dave looked at me and said, “Why not us? Let’s make a difference and have fun doing it!” Thus, The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), now DarkSky International (DarkSky), was born. Dave brought the issues of light pollution, light trespass, and quality nighttime lighting to the forefront of public awareness. He worked tirelessly for IDA, even enlisting his family in the cause. For many years, IDA’s headquarters was his house, with boxes of papers, notebooks, computers, light fixtures, slides, pamphlets, and books spread throughout his living room, home office, and work office at the Kitt Peak National Observatory headquarters in Tucson. Mary, his beloved wife, was an invaluable support throughout this endeavor, though I suspect she felt a sense of relief when IDA finally established its own separate office.

Dave was the Executive Director of IDA for approximately 20 years. He literally and figuratively traveled around the world fighting light pollution and advocating quality nighttime lighting. Prior to meeting him, Dave had established what would become a life-long relationship with professional lighting engineers and became a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the recognized technical and educational authority on illumination. He wanted to learn about lighting and work with professionals who designed and installed lighting. His goal was to make friends, not enemies. Dave won many prestigious awards for his efforts, including an Honorary Doctorate from the New England College of Optometry in 2004 and the IES Medal Award in 2021, recognizing his work in protecting the world from environmental and astronomical impacts of light pollution and anthropogenic light at night.

Good outdoor nighttime lighting is a win-win-win situation quoting Dave. It is a win for the user, a win for those who design, sell, and install the fixtures, and a win for the sky. Because of Dave, IES and many professional lighting engineers have become the strongest advocates for the night sky and for DarkSky. And because of Dave, I was able to come along for the ride meeting all these superb professionals and delightful people. In fact, Dave was so passionate and such a superb evangelist for his cause he inspired countless individuals to join the effort, creating the term of being “Daved.” Dave also said the battle against bad lighting is binary–it is zero with continued resistance to change for a long time until suddenly it becomes a 1, and you have another convert and ally.

I personally consider Dave to be one of the greatest environmentalists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but I’d like to highlight other facets of Dave’s character. His kindness was legendary, and since his passing, I’ve received daily emails from friends and acquaintances recounting how Dave’s thoughtful actions made profound differences in their lives. He was not only fun to be around but also extremely well-educated and a captivating speaker with a powerful ability to inspire others.

Years ago, my wife Carol and I were enjoying cocktails with Dave after an all-day light pollution meeting. Carol, who tolerates astronomers and light pollution fighters to a point, asked Dave, “What is the big deal with astronomy?” Dave’s response was so eloquent that I wish I had recorded it. I’ve tried to remember his words and have often shared them since. He said, “Astronomy studies the biggest and smallest things in the Universe. It measures the hottest and coldest objects. Astronomy looks to the farthest past and to the farthest future. It is the Big Picture.”

On another occasion, Dave and Mary invited Carol and me over for dinner and to view slides from their around-the-world trip. We saw 750 (!) slides over a two-hour period and did not fall asleep. He and Mary were so much fun and so adventurous that we couldn’t get enough of it.  

Dave lived life to the fullest, found joy in his pursuits, touched countless lives through daily acts of kindness, and revolutionized our perspective on the night sky. May he rest in peace.

Tim Hunter
Co-founder of DarkSky International
(Formerly known as The International Dark-Sky Association)