"Armour epitomized the values and methods that turned post-WWII Amherst College into one of the country's best liberal arts colleges," said Professor of English Howell Chickering, who holds the G. Armour Craig Professorship of Language and Literature and was hired by Craig in 1964.
"He was distinguished for his intellectual rigor and moral clarity," Chickering added. "He was always gracious, generous to a fault, and he loved his alma mater with all of his heart."
Craig was born in Cleveland, Oh. and attended the Hawken School. He pursued higher education at the College, where he graduated in 1937 as part of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Craig then continued his studies at Harvard University, where he received both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English in 1938 and 1947, respectively.
Craig served as a member of the faculty at the College for 45 years before retiring in 1985. In 1983, he became acting president of the College after the death of Julian H. Gibbs.
"Over more than 40 years, he served Amherst in virtually every capacity, not only in our department, but also in the administration," said Chickering.
Craig received an L.H.D. (Doctor of Humane Letters) degree from the College in 1986 soon after his retirement.
During his time at the College, Craig helped to develop the liberal studies curriculum, which was adopted in 1976 and included the required first-year seminar. While he was serving as acting president, he also oversaw the abolition of campus fraternities.
"Perhaps he showed the courage of his convictions most clearly when, as acting president, he implemented the decision of the Trustees to abolish fraternities, which he believed was best for the College," Chickering said.
His former student Richard Wilbur '42, former poet laureate of the United States, said that Craig taught his students "not only to be fiercely attentive to texts, but also to watch what we said and wrote … Armour Craig was forever asking the embarrassing question, 'What do you mean?'"
"I learned a great deal about reading and teaching literature from Armour," said Chickering. "He was a revered presence in our department and we miss him sorely."
Edward Phillips '52, a former trustee of the College and a member of the class that anonymously endowed the chair in Craig's name, recalled Craig as an inspiring teacher and respected peer.
"If you really nailed a paper, he wouldn't say very much-just a few comments on particularly effective parts," said Phillips, "but I remember that papers I got D's on had as much writing from his as from me. What it amounted to was a first rate mind taking an undergraduate seriously and pushing you to reach your potential."