He was admitted to the bar in 1895 and commenced practice in Americus, Georgia.

[1] Crisp was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-fourth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of his father, Charles F. Crisp, and served from December 19, 1896, to March 3, 1897.

[1] Crisp was elected to the Sixty-third and to the nine succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1913, until October 7, 1932, when he resigned to become a member of the United States Tariff Commission, in which capacity he served until December 30, 1932.

[1] He was not a candidate for renomination in 1932, but was an unsuccessful candidate for the nomination for United States Senator to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of William J. Harris where he lost the Democratic primary to the outgoing governor Richard Russell Jr..[2] He served as member of the American World War Debt Funding Commission and resumed his legal practice in Washington, D.C..[1] He died in Americus, Georgia, February 7, 1937.

[1] This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress