Ruth Simmons is installed as 8th President of Prairie View A&M University

April 20, 2018 was an historic day in higher education for the State of Texas with the inauguration of Dr. Ruth Simmons as the 8th and first female president of Prairie View A&M University. More than 80 representatives from academia and learned societies and community organizations were on hand to salute Dr. Simmons. Mr. Charles W. Scwartz, Chairman of the Board of Regents for The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), presiding officer, welcomed the students, staff, faculty and guests to the auspicious event. He commended Dr. Simmons for the wealth of experience that she brings to PVAMU and the system and pledged his full support.

TAMUS Chancellor, John Sharp presented Dr. Simmons with the presidential medallion and mace signifying her official installment. Sharp also stated that TAMUS was committed to building the president’s house for Ruth. Some of the luminaries on hand were U. S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who presented Simmons a United States Flag; Texas Senator Lois Kolkhorts; Prairie View Mayor David Allen, PVAMU’s Alumni President Kimberly Runnels; Georgetown University Professor Michael Eric Dyson and Academy Representative Princeton University Professor Martha Tienda; former presidents Julius W. Becton, Percy A. Pierre and George C. Wright, and interim president Ivory Nelson. SGA President Kendric Jones began his message by asking the audience to shout the nickname "Ruth the Truth" which the students gave to Simmons, who quickly won the admiration and respect by the students, alumni and staff. She is a woman who unabashedly “speaks truth to power.” Jones also reflected on Ruth’s mentoring and advising at the most important times. "Ruth is the truth and it brings the student body joy that she will be leading the university into that extended legacy of greatness."

Dr. Walter Massey, Chancellor of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was the keynote speaker. His message to Dr. Simmons was that he was pleased that she, like the Sankofa Bird, has returned home. He reminisced on Ruth’s experiences from a large family in the cotton fields, segregated schools to the halls of academics at some of the nation’s finest schools to become president of a woman’s college and Ivy League university and now Prairie View A&M University. He said that with all of the experiences and achievements that Ruth was in place where she was unprepared to make comprises for anything. She was at a point of greatness and that PVAMU is the recipient of her commitment to excellence . . . “Welcome Home Ruth Simmons, welcome home,” he concluded.

Simmons is one of a few leaders in the nation who have served as president of multiple universities, having served at Smith College and Brown University. She holds degrees from Dillard and Harvard Universities and has served as Provost, Vice President and Dean at Spelman College, University of Southern California and Princeton University.

Simmons came from humble beginnings in Grapeland, Texas and is the youngest of 12 children. Her audacious refusal skirt the “hot button” issues, and the solutions-based eloquence with which she articulates many of the key challenges that prevent souls from reaching their full potential is, to say the least, empowering and soothing words to others. Being around her, you are never voiceless because she is someone strategically positioned on the educational stage who validates others, fights for the least of them and tells their stories in interviews in articles (Houston Chronicle), on radio and television news programs and on panel discussions and in lectures. At the same time and, more importantly, with her agility, this courageous truth teller transcended boundaries and the quiet and unceremonious manner in which she empowers and supports others is unprecedented at the thriving HBCU. In an early interview with the New York Times, she aptly expressed her vision for cultivating the next generation of African American Scholars.

Dr. Simmons expressed her sincere thanks to her family, the TAMUS, students, faculty and staff and all the visiting persons. As she laid out her goals for the university, holding back emotional tears, she said "I believe in a way that my path to Prairie View was written in the heavens; for how else can I explain the improbable way I came to this task? How can I turn away from doing for other young people what was done for me?" To conclude her speech, Simmons donated $100K to establish and Endowed Scholarship in honor of her parents. She stated that the family will also match her contribution too, along with a match from TAMUS.

Among the learned societies represented were Cambridge University of England (Reverend Cynthia Engle, Rector of St. Francis of Assisi - Prairie View), the oldest institution in attendance (12th Century), Harvard University, Brown, MIT, Spellman, Dillard, Lincoln, Texas A&M University and its other branches, to name a few.

Preceding the formal inauguration was the special symposium on African American Studies at HBCUs with the featured panelists Beverly Guy-Sheftall (Anna Julia Cooper Professor of Women’s Studies at Spellman), Melanye Price '95 (Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Rutgers), and Paula Giddings (Elizabeth A Woodson Professor Emerita of Africana Studies at Smith College). W. Gabriel Selassie I '88 (Ralph Bunche Associate Professor of African American History at Los Angeles Community College) as moderator. This event was followed by a luncheon which featured presentations from the students, including Mr. & Miss Prairie View A&M University. A touching moment for Dr. Simmons was the rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sonia, a sophomore history major. On concluding the song, the student representatives escorted Dr. Ruth to the stage, who embraced each student. She also expressed her thanks to special guests including Chris Tucker and Michael Eric Dyson, Beverly Ledbetter and the representatives from Brown University, Smith College and other universities present.

Concluding the day of celebration was the elegant inaugural banquet held at Houston’s Post Oak Hilton Hotel. The audience was treated to the sound of great music from the PVAMU Jazz Band and PV Singers. On hand for special commendations to Dr. Simmons were Dr. Johnetta Cole from Spelman and Bennet College, Beverly Ledbetter from Brown, Comedian/Actor Chris Tucker and former presidents Becton, Pierre and Nelson. Ruth’s friends from Brown University also made a $100K donation to her parents’ endowment. Simmons thanked everyone for their support.