Ruth Simmons
Ruth Simmons (born Ruth Jean Stubblefield, July 3, 1945) is an American professor and academic administrator. Simmons served as the eighth president of Prairie View A&M University, a HBCU, from 2017 until 2023. From 2001 to 2012, she served as the 18th president of Brown University, where she was the first African American president of an Ivy League institution. While there, Simmons was named, best college president by Time magazine. Before Brown University, she headed Smith College, one of the Seven Sisters and the largest women's college in the United States, beginning in 1995. There, during her presidency, the first accredited program in engineering was started at an all-women's college.
Dr. Ruth Simmons | |
|---|---|
Simmons in 2001 | |
| 8th President of Prairie View A&M University | |
| In office July 1, 2017 – February 28, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | George Wright |
| Succeeded by | Tomikia P. LeGrande |
| 18th President of Brown University | |
| In office October 14, 2001 – June 30, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Gordon Gee |
| Succeeded by | Christina Paxson |
| 9th President of Smith College | |
| In office 1995–2001 | |
| Preceded by | Mary Maples Dunn |
| Succeeded by | Carol T. Christ |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ruth Jean Stubblefield July 3, 1945 Grapeland, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse | Norbert Alonzo |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Dillard University (BA) Harvard University (MA, PhD) |
| Academic background | |
| Thesis | The poetic language of Aime Cesaire (1973) |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Romance literature |
| Institutions | |
A professor of literature in the Romance languages, in 2017, Simmons was called out of retirement to head Prairie View in her home state of Texas, where she increased scholarships and funding. She stepped down as president there in 2023. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, an honorary fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge, and a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor.
In February 2023, Simmons announced plans to advise Harvard University regarding relationships with historically black universities (HBCUs). As of 2023, Simmons is also a President's Distinguished Fellow at Rice University.