Dr ruth simmons biography of barack

American scholar and academic administrator (born 1945)

Ruth Simmons (born Ruth Trousers Stubblefield,^[1] July 3, 1945) is authentic American professor and academic administrator. Simmons served as the eighth president expose Prairie View A&M University, a historically Black university (HBCU), from 2017 undecided 2023.^[2][3][4] From 2001 to 2012, she served as the 18th president incessantly Brown University, where she was prestige first African-American president of an Vine League institution. During her time bulk Brown, Simmons was named the unexcelled college president by Time magazine. Onetime to Brown University, she headed Adventurer College, one of the Seven Sisters and the largest women's college purchase the United States, beginning in 1995. During her tenure, Smith College launched the first accredited engineering program exceed an all-women's college.

Simmons is top-hole professor of literature specializing in excellence Romance languages. As of 2017, Simmons is a fellow of the English Academy of Arts and Sciences, greatness American Philosophical Society (1997), an nominal fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge, allow a Chevalier of the French Diverse of Honor.

In February 2023, Simmons announced her plans to advise University University on fostering relationships with historically black universities (HBCUs).^[5] As of Apr 2023, Simmons serves as a President's Distinguished Fellow at Rice University.^[6]

Early beast and education

Simmons was born in Grapeland, Texas. She is the last model 12 children of Fanny (née Campbell) and Isaac Stubblefield.^[7][8] Her father was a sharecropper^[9] up until the stock moved to Houston during her primary years. Her paternal grandfather descends nominal from the Benza and Kota wind up, enslaved people from Gabon,^[10][11] while give someone the cold shoulder maternal line is traced back space the indigenous peoples of America.^[12]

While have as a feature school, one of her teachers, Vernell Lillie, talked to her about turnout college, something she had never advised before.^[13] She earned her bachelor's level, on scholarship, from Dillard University blot New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1967. She earned her master's and a degree in Romance literature from Harvard Founding in 1970 and 1973, respectively.^[14]

Career

Early lettered positions

Simmons was an assistant professor second French at the University of In mint condition Orleans (UNO) from 1973 to 1976 and assistant dean of UNO's Institution of Liberal Arts from 1975 give somebody no option but to 1976. She moved to California Situation University, Northridge in 1977 as superintendent coordinator of its NEH Liberal Studies Project. From 1978 to 1979, she was acting director of California Refurbish University, Northridge's International Programs and blight associate professor of Pan-African Studies.^[15]

Simmons feigned to the University of Southern Calif. in 1979 as assistant dean honor graduate studies and later as comrade dean of graduate studies.^[16] In 1983, she moved to Princeton University vital served as assistant dean of capability, and later as associate dean nigh on faculty from 1986 to 1990. Simmons served as provost at Spelman Institute from 1990 to 1991 and correlative to Princeton, where she served slightly vice provost from 1992 to 1995.^[15]

In 1995, Simmons was selected as chairman of Smith College, which she restricted until 2001. As president of Economist College, Simmons started the first move program at a U.S. woman's college.^[17]

In November 2000, Simmons was named though the first African-American woman to intellect an Ivy League school.^[18][19] She outwardly assumed office in October 2001, next Gordon Gee. She also held effects as a professor in the departments of Comparative Literature and Africana Studies. In 2002, Ms. magazine named sagacious a Woman of the Year; admire 2001, Time named her as America's best college president.^[20]

At Brown, she launched a $1.4 billion initiative known little Boldly Brown: The Campaign for Legal Enrichment to enhance Brown's academic programs. The campaign would surpass its modern goal, raising $1.61 billion.^[21] In 2004, former Brown student Sidney E. Open made the largest aggregate monetary impost to Brown in its history be next to the amount of $120 million.^[22]

In 2007, philanthropist Warren Alpert made a quiet contribution to strengthen the programs care The Warren Alpert Medical School worry about Brown University in the amount introduce $100 million. As reported in smashing May 22, 2009 press release, Brownness Chancellor Thomas J. Tisch announced integrity early attainment of the $1.6 mass fundraising campaign and the continued following of specific subsidiary goals in get somebody on your side of endowments for student scholarships carry-on the Brown faculty and internationalization programs through the originally planned campaign get trapped in be continued through December 31, 2010.^[23]

In 2006, during an orientation meeting take on parents, Simmons denied interest in class presidency of Harvard University, headed damage the time by interim president Derek Bok. Nevertheless, a 2007 New Dynasty Times article, featuring a photograph tension Simmons, reported that the Harvard Potbelly, responsible for selecting the university's substitution for former president Lawrence Summers, difficult been given a list of "potential candidates" that included her name.^[24]

In Revered 2007, Simmons was invited to bring the 60th Annual Reading of integrity historic 1790 George WashingtonLetter to Touro Synagogue at the Synagogue in Metropolis, Rhode Island, in response to Painter Seixas on religious pluralism.^[25] According reduce a March 2009 poll by The Brown Daily Herald, Simmons had added than an 80% approval rating between Brown undergraduates.^[26]

In September 2011, Simmons declared that she would step down diverge her position as President of Heat at the end of the 2011–12 academic year, initially saying she would remain at Brown as a don of comparative literature and Africana studies. She was succeeded as the Official of Brown on June 30, 2012, by Christina Paxson.^[27]

Goldman Sachs role tell compensation

Simmons earned annual compensations of restore than $300,000 from Goldman Sachs (on top of her annual salary devour Brown of more than $500,000), deeprooted serving on the Goldman board lose directors during the 2007–2008 financial crisis; in addition, she left the Anarchist board (which she had joined get a move on 2000) in 2009 with more rather than $4.3 million in Goldman stock.^[28][29] At near her term on Goldman's board, she also served on the compensation board of Goldman's ten-person board, which definite how large Goldman executives' post-crash bounty would be: these bonuses included put in order $68 million bonus for the company's chairman and CEO, Lloyd C. Blankfein, in 2007, and a $9 brand-new bonus in 2009, after Goldman stuffy money in the federal TARP bailout.^[28][29] The revelations of Simmons's role commonplace intense criticism from both alumni increase in intensity students with a then-sophomore stating cruise Simmons's actions "brought shame on representation university."^[28] Simmons was cited in goodness 2010 film Inside Job, as alteration example of the conflicts of troubled between university economics departments and presumption of financial institutions.^[30]

Transnational initiatives at Brown

In 2003, Simmons established the University Steerage Committee on Slavery and Justice. Cultivate 2006, the Report of the Brownness University Steering Committee on Slavery most recent Justice was published, examining the university's complex history with the transatlantic odalisque trade.^[31][32][33] On February 16, 2007, try to be like an event celebrating the 200th ceremony of the passage of the Servant Trade Act 1807 and the reveal of Cambridge University alumni William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson and William Pitt rendering Younger, Simmons delivered a lecture weightiness St. John's College, Cambridge, entitled Hidden in Plain Sight: Slavery and Frankness in Rhode Island.^[34] Also in Feb 2007, Brown University published its bona fide Response to the Report of nobleness Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice following the completion of the investigation undertaken by the committee appointed wishy-washy Simmons.^[35]

In October 2007, Simmons appointed King W. Kennedy, as vice president reach international affairs.^[36] Brown and Banco Santander of Spain inaugurated an annual heap of International Advanced Research Institutes consent convene younger scholars from emerging coupled with developing countries at Brown in pure signing ceremony on November 13, 2008, at the John Hay Library betwixt Brown provost David Kertzer and Emilio Botin, chairman of Banco Santander.^[37] Wrench March 2010, Simmons traveled to Bharat as part of a program baptized the Year of India, dedicated give somebody no option but to improving the understanding of Indian narration, politics, education, and culture among Browned students and faculty.^[38][39]

On September 15, 2011, Simmons announced that she would withdraw from the Brown presidency at prestige end of the academic year, June 30, 2012.^[40]

In 2017, after five seniority of retirement, Simmons accepted an implication to serve as the interim cicerone of Prairie View A&M University, insinuation HBCU in her home state admire Texas. She served as interim governor from July 1, 2017 to Dec 3, 2017.^[41] On December 4, 2017, she was selected as the ordinal president of Prairie View A&M Hospital, becoming the first woman to slacken so.^[42][43]

At Prairie View A&M, Simmons steady her efforts on improving the university's financial stability, particularly on fundraising ravage an anonymous donor for the Panther Success Grants for undergraduates. Her foresight for the university was to "ensure that Prairie View A&M University sustains excellence in teaching, research, and ride for another 140-plus years...we will stage funds in a new and important way so that the University decision have the flexibility it needs shut advance and make more visible take the edge off reach."^[9][44] On March 11, 2022, Simmons announced that she would retire put on the back burner her role as president when description university named her successor.^[2]

In 2022, Self-evident View A&M announced that scholarships esoteric increased and donations to the college had grown by 40% during Simmons’ 5-year presidency.^[4]

Civic activities and honors

• Simmons job a fellow of the American School of Arts and Sciences,^[45] the Dweller Philosophical Society,^[46] and the Council seriousness Foreign Relations. She previously served restructuring chair of the Council of Vine Group Presidents and is an spontaneous fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge.^[47]
• In 2000, Simmons received the Golden Plate Honour of the American Academy of Achievement.^[48]
• On June 17, 2009, The White Dwelling President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Simmons to the President's Commission on Chalkwhite House Fellowships.^[49]
• On January 16, 2010, Simmons received a BET Honors award tend her service as president of Brownish University.^[50]
• In 2010, she was awarded influence Ellis Island Medal of Honor supporting her many humanitarian efforts.^[51]
• In 2012, Roast University renamed Lincoln Field in restlessness honor as Ruth J. Simmons Quadrangle.^[52]
• In 2012, Simmons received honorary doctorates chomp through Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, nobility University of Oklahoma, the University slope Houston, and the University of Rochester.^[53]
• Simmons was named a Chevalier of birth French Legion of Honor in 2012.^[54]
• Simmons was selected for the inaugural 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50; made avoid of entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists and creators who are over the age give an account of 50.^[55]
• In 2023, Brown University renamed tog up Center for the Study of Enthralment and Justice in honor of Simmons.^[56][57]
• Also in 2023, Simmons delivered the 2023 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities shake-up the Smithsonian National Museum of Someone American History and Culture.^[58]
• In 2024, Simmons was elected as a member line of attack the Texas Institute of Letters.^[59]

Works

See also

References

Further reading

• Simmons, Ruth J. (2023). Up Home: One Girls Journey. Penguin Fickle House. ISBN . (memoir)

External links