Edward Warren Crosby (November 4, 1932 – February 10, 2021) was an African-American professor/administrator emeritus, in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Kent State University (KSU).

The IAAA used a holistic curriculum model based on Crosby's earlier work at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville (SIUE).

EHE's influence on the development of Black studies in universities across the nation was due in part to the amount of resources, time and brain power they had at hand to forge a pedagogy that put the student at the center of their learning.

This Black studies consortium did not confine their efforts to East St. Louis, they offered consulting services to universities from California to New York.

On arriving at Kent, knowing the value of this kind of symbiosis, Crosby took on the task of developing an academic program modeled after the one he had previously spearheaded in East St. Louis and also took on the task of creating a cultural center that could work in tandem with the newly formed Institute for African American Affairs (IAAA).

[6] The implementation of this kind of Black pedagogy has led to the successful graduation of hundreds, if not thousands, of students, that wouldn't have made it otherwise, many of which have devoted their careers to working in Black communities all over the U.S.[7] The Human Relations Center, which was founded in 1968, attempted to do this kind of work, however their perspective was that the students needed to assimilate.

[10] Since that time regular observances of Black History Month have become common in elementary, secondary and high schools, as well as city, state and federal buildings across the country.

He spent the latter days of his career teaching Black Cosmology in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Kent State University.