[1] Born in Topeka, Kansas, on May 5, 1926,[2] Crow was a seaman in the United States Navy during World War II, from 1944 to 1945.

Initially becoming a partner at Rooney, Dickinson, Prager & Crow in Topeka, Crow returned to active duty with the United States Army Reserve JAG Corps from 1953 to 1954 before returning to private practice in Topeka from 1954 to 1975.

[3][4] Crow served as a United States magistrate judge on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas from 1975 to 1981.

On November 24, 1981, he was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas vacated by Judge Frank Gordon Theis.

A federal jury ruled in 1998 that although Koch Industries concealed some facts from shareholders, the concealed facts did not significantly affect the price of the shares.