Ruth Harris: Does Higher Education Practice What They Teach?

AbstractSixty-five years prior to Ruth Harris’ appointment as president of Harris-Stowe State University it was illegal to educate African Americans in Missouri. Yet, in 1940 she became the first African American female to lead the College. This paper reports findings from a historical analysis of Harris’ tenure from 1940 to 1954. The analysis of Harris’ seven guiding principles revealed that traces of her work, such as community-based learning, exist in education today.