Daniel J. Crowley was born on November 27, 1921, in Peoria, Illinois. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Theory and Practice of Art from Northwestern University in 1943, a Master of Arts in Art History from Bradley University in 1948, and a Ph.D. in Anthropology (African Studies) from Northwestern University in 1956. Crowley served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-1947. In 1961, Crowley was hired as a member of the University of California, Davis faculty as a Professor of Anthropology and Professor of Art. He retired from the university in 1992 but continued to teach.

Crowley was a noted scholar of folklore, anthropology, and art history. Over the course of his career, Crowley served on many journal editorial boards and published four books, approximately 350 articles and reviews, and a commercial recording. Crowley was specifically interested in African and African diaspora communities, with a concentration in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. His other research interests included graphic arts, folklore, music, multi-cultural societies, and festivals. Crowley conducted field research throughout the world including Western Europe, South America, Latin America, Africa, Australia, and Polynesia. He also served as a member of the National Commission for UNESCO from 1974-1980. While conducting field research in Trinidad, Crowley met Pearl Ramcharan and married her soon after. They had three children: Peter, Eve (Eyzaguirre), and Magdalene. Crowley died on February 24, 1998, while in Bolivia studying the major Carnival there.