Background
Simmons, Ruth J. was born on July 3, 1945 in Grapeland, Texas, United States.
Simmons, Ruth J. was born on July 3, 1945 in Grapeland, Texas, United States.
Student, Universidad Internacional, Saltillo, Mexico, 1965; student, Wellesley College, 1965-1966; Bachelor, Dillard U., 1967; postgraduate, Universite de Lyon, 1967-1968; postgraduate, George Washington University, 1968-1969; AM, Harvard University, 1970; Doctor of Philosophy in Romance Langs., Harvard University, 1973; Doctor of Laws (honorary), Amherst College, 1995; Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Howard U., 1996; Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Dillard U., 1996; Doctor of Laws (honorary), Princeton University, 1996; Doctor of Laws (honorary), Lake Forest College, 1997; Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), University Massachusetts, 1997; Doctor of Laws (honorary), Dartmouth College, 1997.
Interpreter language services division, unites states department State, Washington, 1968-1969;
instructor French, George Washington University, 1968-1969;
admissions officer, Radcliffe College, 1970-1972;
assistant professor French, U. New Orleans, 1973-1975;
assistant dean college liberal arts, assistant professor French, U. New Orleans, 1975-1976;
administrative coordinator National Endowment for Humanities liberal studies project, California State University, Northridge, 1977-1978;
acting director international programs, visiting associate professor Pan-African studies, California State University, Northridge, 1978-1979;
assistant dean graduate school, University of Southern California, 1979-1982;
associate dean graduate school, University of Southern California, 1982-1983;
director studies Butler College, Princeton (New Jersey) U., 1983-1985;
acting. director Afro-American studies, Princeton (New Jersey) U., 1985-1987;
assistant dean faculty, Princeton (New Jersey) U., 1986-1987;
associate dean faculty, Princeton (New Jersey) U., 1986-1990;
vice provost, Princeton (New Jersey) U., 1992-1995;
provost, Spelman College, 1990-1991;
president, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, since 1995. Peer reviewer higher education division National Endowment for Humanities, 1980-1983, board consultant, 1981. Member graduate advisory board California Student Aid Commission, 1981-1983.
Chair commission to visit department African-American studies Harvard University, since 1991. Member strategic planning task force New Jersey Department Higher Education, 1992-1993. Member of national advisory commission EQUITY 2000, College Board, 1992-1995.
Member of advisory board central New Jersey National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense Fund, 1992-1995. Member Middle States Association Accreditation Team, Johns Hopkins University, 1993, chairman accreditation team, Bryn Mawr College, 1999. Chair review panel for model institutions planning grants National Science Foundation, 1993.
Member Conference Board, since 1995. Board directors Metropolitan Life, JSTOR, Pfizer Inc., COFHE. Board dirs.Com. for Economics Development, since 1996.
Member of advisory county department Romance Langs. and Literature, Princeton University, since 1996.
Member of advisory board New Jersey Master Faculty program Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, 1987-1990, board of trustees, 1991-1996. Trustee Institute for Advanced Study, 1995-1998, The Clarke School for the Deaf, since 1995. Chairman of the board of trustees Academy Music, 1995-1998.
Member of advisory committee Healthy Steps for Young Children Program, 1996-1998. Member board advisors 1st International Conference on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Ethiopia, since 1998. Fellow American Academy Arts & Sciences.
Member American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Philosophical Society.
2 children.