HOUSTON (August 4, 2021) – Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) President Ruth J. Simmons, a tireless champion of equity in higher education over her almost 50-year career, is set to receive the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Houston-Galveston (ASFHG) Humanitarian of the Year award at the organization’s annual Celebration of Service. The event is set to take place on September 20.
Ruth J. Simmons
“Dr. Simmons is truly a trailblazer for her work championing equity in higher education, advancing the cause of historically Black colleges and universities, and encouraging an unflinching look into institutional ties to slavery. She has changed the landscape for young people, not just in our city but all over the country,” said Schweitzer Fellowship Board Chair Andrea Link.
The ASFHG Fellows Program is part of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and one of 15 Schweitzer Fellowship programs throughout the U.S. and in Lambaréné, Gabon. The Fellowship programs are modeled after the life example of pioneering physician-humanitarian and Nobel Peace Laureate Albert Schweitzer. Medical and graduate student Fellows in the Houston-Galveston area complete year-long service projects addressing the health needs of the community’s most underserved populations, strengthening the capacity and programming of local agencies while learning the value, impact and rewards of helping others.
“Over the past 12 years, the Fellowship has sponsored almost 300 Fellows who have provided more than 50,000 hours of service to address core health needs in Houston and Galveston,” Dr. Link noted.
Three PVAMU students represent the 2021 Fellows, in addition to students from Baylor College of Medicine, UTHealth McGovern Medical School, UTHealth School of Public Health, UTHealth School of Dentistry, Texas Southern University, University of Houston Honors College, University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M School of Public Health and UTMB Galveston School of Medicine.
An honors graduate of Phillis Wheatley High School in Houston, Simmons has been a pioneer of higher education throughout her illustrious career in academia. She attended Dillard University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in French, then went on to earn both her master’s and doctoral degrees in romance languages from Harvard University. Simmons has brought her extraordinary skill set to colleges across the country: from starting the first engineering program at Smith College, where she was their first Black president, to serving in administrative roles at Princeton University and Spelman College. Her 11-year tenure as president of Brown University made her not only the first Black president of an Ivy League institution but also one of the university’s most effective and beloved administrators. In 2003, she established the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice, making Brown one of the first universities of its kind to initiate a comprehensive effort to address its institutional foundation in enslavement.
The ASFHG is a 501(c)(3) organization, and proceeds from September’s event will support the ongoing efforts of the Fellowship to create positive changes in the health and wellness of those in need. For registration and ticket information, visit www.asfhg.org/cos2021. The luncheon is open to all community members.
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