Ruth Simmons

Ruth Simmons, a distinguished academic leader, became the first African American to lead an Ivy League institution when appointed the 18th president of Brown University in 2001. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Dillard University in 1967, and both her master’s (1970) and doctorate (1973) in Romance languages and literatures from Harvard University, Simmons began her career in higher education administration. She served as an Assistant Professor of French and Assistant Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of New Orleans from 1973 to 1976. Following this, she took on roles including Administrative Coordinator for the NEH Liberal Studies Project (1977) and Acting Director of International Programs (1978-1979) at California State University, Northridge, before becoming Assistant and then Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Southern California between 1979 and 1983.

She also established the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice in 2003, culminating in a comprehensive report on Brown’s historical ties to the transatlantic slave trade. Following her impactful tenure at Brown, Simmons came out of retirement in 2017 to serve as Interim President, and subsequently President, of Prairie View A&M University until 2023. Under her leadership, the university significantly improved its financial stability, increasing donations by 40%. Her extensive contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including dozens of honorary doctorates and the prestigious Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor.

In 2021, she was recognized on the Forbes 50 Over 50 list. Most recently, Simmons delivered the 2023 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, and in 2023, Brown University renamed its Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice in her honor. She was elected a Member of the Texas Institute of Letters in 2024.