The first assembly of the school year began with a photo of a 0.5x selfie projected on the stage of Lewis Auditorium featuring a grinning Dr. Donald Cramp surrounded by unsuspecting freshmen. Moments like this have become a regular part of life at Ransom Everglades since Dr. Cramp returned to campus after a 10-year hiatus.
In just a few weeks, Dr. Cramp has once again become a pillar of the Ransom Everglades community. But he also remains a mystery to the student body: Who is he?
Dr. Cramp has a varied resume, from his primary education in Philadelphia to his undergraduate degree at the University of Miami in Marine Science and Biology. His first job out of college was at Palmer Trinity School, where he taught a topic he adored: Marine Biology. He immediately found his passion for teaching.
In 2002 Dr. Cramp started at Ransom Everglades, teaching Freshman Biology and Ecology while coaching the Varsity Football and Softball teams. In 2007, he became the Dean of Students. Soon after, he became the Interim Chair of the Science Department, succeeding Dr. Jay Calkins, Mrs. Karen Thompson’s husband.
In 2011, he transformed from Mr. Cramp into Dr. Cramp, getting his doctorate in educational leadership from FIU on a subject close to home: the history of the Adirondack-Florida School and the Ransom School for boys. He spent countless hours studying and analyzing how relationships and caring attitudes played a key role in the early Ransom community.
In 2014, Dr. Cramp received an invitation to be the Head of Upper School at the Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Houston, TX, and was excited to start his journey there. Ten years later, he decided to come home to Miami and Ransom Everglades.
Family plays a vital role in his life, with photos of his wife and three daughters all over his office. Not only does he apply his values at school, but at home as well. He seeks to utilize the core values he champions at RE back at home with his children. He particularly focuses on the four words that he presented to the RE community in that first assembly: Care, Honesty, Communication, and Respect.
Faculty members clearly view Dr. Cramp similarly, as a community builder and as someone who unites us together under shared values. “He words things in a way that makes sense. He presents things with care. He is honest. He communicates clearly. And he is very respectful. So, he does practice what he preaches, and it is a joy,” said Assistant Head of the Upper School Mrs. Adriana Sanchez.
“The four words that he was putting up—respect, care, all that—he does that with everyone around him. That is just plain how he is, and he was like that way back before he left. So, this is just what he is as a human being. It’s part of him,” added Mrs. Karen Thompson.
“There has been this increasing, positive kind of atmosphere,” said Mr. Paul Natland, who became a close friend of Dr. Cramp over 15 years ago. “[Dr. Cramp] is trying to make sure that everybody feels supported. And I think that is very much the kind of person that he is.”
So far, students have appreciated Dr. Cramp’s efforts to get to know them. “He is empathetic and tries to understand what we’re going through,” said Beatriz Lindemann ’25. “That sense of understanding goes a long way and makes us feel supported.”
In his new role as Head of the Upper School, Dr. Cramp has brought back one of his signature trademarks on a daily basis: the bow tie. From Star Wars characters to ornate flower patterns, Dr. Cramp has a bow tie for every occasion. “It took me 40 minutes to tie a bow tie the first time,” he recalled—but now he welcomes anyone interested in a bow tying lesson.
Apart from his fashion sense, Dr. Cramp is known for his ukulele playing. Students anticipate the sight of him strumming his instrument in the breezeway, usually for Hawaiian Shirt Thursday.
Dr. Cramp was given his iconic ukulele in the early 2000s, when he chaperoned a trip to Hawaii for his course in Marine Science. “I would take students to Hawaii and fell in love with the culture.” he said. On one of those trips, a student from RE gave the ukulele to Dr. Cramp and taught four strings, which he has been playing ever since. “Now I just stand in the breezeway and strum four or five notes and make stuff up as I go,” he said.
Head of the Upper School may be one of the top jobs on campus, but Dr. Cramp said that he remains connected to his roots. “Forget being a principal, forget being a dean. I am forever a teacher,” he said. “Forget my title, forget all of our titles. We are forever teachers.”
