Chapter 4: Ruth Harris: Does Higher Education Practice What They Teach?

In 1940, Dr. Ruth M. Harris became the first African American female to lead Stowe Teachers College (now Harris Stowe State University). This chapter is an analysis of Harris’s tenure from 1940 to 1954 and her use of seven principles to guide the development of the college. The analysis revealed she put students first, emphasized educating the whole teacher, and required students to volunteer in the community where they would teach.