Howard Croft was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1941. He attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania where he was involved in civil rights organizing before earning a graduate degree at Columbia University in New York, New York. Croft moved to Washington, D.C. 1969 where he worked for different anti-poverty groups and taught in the community planning, development program, and later the urban studies program at Federal City College (now the University of the District of Columbia). He was very interested in encouraging experiential learning among students, and was involved with the Lorton Prison College Program. Croft helped found the faculty union at the University of the District of Columbia, and was involved in labor organizing city-wide. He left University of the District of Columbia in 1995 and went on to work for several different social justice and labor organizations, including the Service Employees International Union.