Ruth Simmons Announces She Plans to Step Down as President of Prairie View A&M University

Ruth Simmons, president of Prairie View A&M University in Texas, has announced that she plans to retire but is willing to continue serving in the role until her successor is named. Dr. Simmons came out of retirement in 2017 to lead the historically Black university.

“I remain 100 percent committed to this amazing institution that has, throughout the decades since its founding, kept the dream of equality, justice and opportunity alive for so many,” President Simmons said. “I am proud of that legacy. It is one that I honor, and it is one that I will always continue to serve.”

Dr. Simmons served as the eighteenth president of Brown University, the Ivy League educational institution in Providence, Rhode Island, from 2001 to 2012. Before becoming president of Brown University, Dr. Simmons was president of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Earlier, she was vice provost at Princeton University in New Jersey and provost at Spelman College in Atlanta.

Dr. Simmons is a native of Houston and is a product of the city’s public school system. She is a graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans and holds a Ph.D. in Romance languages and literatures from Harvard University.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Adios Ruth! Let’s be honest Black people. Ruth spent ALL of her professional higher education at Historically White Colleges and Universities (HWCUs) for decades. Yet, after decades of being on the receiving end of disparate treatment suddenly retires from the HWCUs. Then Amazingly, Ruth has an epiphany saying “I will gladly serve as the president of Prairie View A&M”(PVAMU). Really! It’s called I can make over a $1.5 million for a few years work without significantly improving the university and not be substantively questioned by anyone. Ruth gladly said, “I’ll take the job.

    What HBCUs need to stop hiring these HWCUs burnouts or pushed out so-called Black administrators because they’re only concerned about filling their pockets quickly for their winter years. The same applies for these sellout Board of Regents and Trustees members as well.

  2. The slander of Dr Simmons is in line with the abusive comments on this board by hbcuwatch. Where is the moderator? Please do your job.

    • It appears that “Hamp” comments are literally peppered with neoliberal and politically correct emotions. What I do find very troublesome is that “Hamp” never responded to any of my claims about Ruth and many other so-called Black higher education administrators who spent their entire careers at HWCUs in lieu of being mistreated in various ways. Then, suddenly they’re at the helm of an HBCU in most cases is to earn some quick money.

      For those who dissent, I challenge you to ask those same higher education buffoon where was their love for HBCUs 10, 20, or 30 years ago. More important, “Hamp” need to realize that simply YOU disagree with my comments that it should never amount to this your misguided, emotive, and neoliberal censorship. “Hamp”, I would suggest that you learn how to accept intellectually honest critique along with realizing that in America we still have 1st Amendment rights.

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