Defying the Impossible: Dr. Ruth Simmons by Lisa A. Crayton

Walt Disney once said, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible." Ask Dr. Ruth Simmons (left) and she'll likely agree. Once told by a colleague that she would never become a president of an Ivy League school, Simmons shattered that glass ceiling last fall when she was unanimously elected president of Brown University.  By doing so, she becomes Brown's 18th president, its first female president, and the first African American to lead one of the nation's prestigious Ivy League institutions.

Currently, the president of Smith College -- the renowned, private women's college that selected her as its first African-American president in 1995 -- Simmons takes the helm at Brown on July 1.

When Simmons learned she had been elected president of Brown, she recalls saying, "My ancestors are smiling."

Smiling Ancestors

Born in Grapeland, Tex., Simmons, is the youngest of 12 children born to sharecropping parents.   When her family later moved to Houston, her father worked in a factory; her mother  as a maid.   In her acceptance speech at Brown, Simmons dubbed her parents' labor "brutally hard and sometimes demeaning."  Yet, she noted, "they helped me to understand something very important: that poverty is not a state of mind nor a definition of one's character, but merely the condition of one's purse."

"I would not have thought it possible for a person of my background to become president of Brown University," Simmons frankly admitted in that speech.  Adding, "It gives me enormous pride and joy to think that I will serve as president of a place that not only has ideals I can share, but also earnestly seeks to live those ideals."

In speaking with THE BLACK COLLEGIAN, she said, "Many of things that I thought in my life were stumbling blocks turned out really to be a way for me to develop and become a better person." Like her colleague's remark concerning her potential.  Recalled Simmons, chuckling: "When that person said to me I'll never be president, I thought, 'well, that's interesting.' People who told me things like that enabled me to work harder."  Simmons advises: "Never assume when something [negative] happens, if you don't get an opportunity, that you are not going to achieve anything in your life."

She should know. Too numerous to list, Simmons' accomplishments are phenomenal.  These include awards like the Centennial Medal from Harvard University, and fellowships such as the Fulbright Fellowship to France.  In 1996 alone she was separately named as the CBS Woman of the Year, as well as an NBC Nightly News Most Inspiring Woman and a Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year. In addition to her awards, she also serves on the board of several renowned organizations.

"All of us have been impressed with her academic leadership, her impeccable character, and her unquestionable integrity," Brown Chancellor Stephen Robert noted at the press conference announcing Simmons' election. "She is truly beloved by faculty, students and staff at Smith, and we have every reason to believe she will be a star at Brown."

Degrees of Success

Somehow, inherently, Simmons could see her stellar potential even when others could not.  Growing up African American, female and poor -- what some would consider three strikes against her -- could not quench Simmons' burning desire to excel academically.  That desire coupled with the support of family and several teachers catapulted Simmons to success.

After winning an academic scholarship to Dillard University, Simmons graduated summa cum laude.  From there it was on to Harvard University for master's and doctorate degrees in romance languages and literature.

With those degrees under her belt, Simmons began pursuing her dream to become a college administrator.  Keeping her dream ever-most in her mind, Simmons successfully served in various positions of progressive responsibility at the University of New Orleans, California State University, Butler College, Princeton University and Spelman College before accepting her current post at Smith.

Simmons readily admits that leaving Smith will be somewhat difficult. "I've been very blessed because I had the opportunity many times in my life to move on to another challenge when I was perfectly happy doing what I was doing." She accepted the position at Brown, she said, because it will enable her to better participate in educational reform on a national level, something that is very dear to her.  As president of Brown, she expects to take a significant leadership role in higher education as "the country is trying to reform education and asking pertinent questions about how to provide opportunities for [poor] children."

Field of Dreams

Education is a tool, she contends, that enables poor and minority students to bridge the economic gap to success.  For education to be accessible, however, it must be affordable.  Hence the need for scholarships, internships and other financial assistance.

Besides financial considerations, Simmons believes that there are at least five other areas that minority students should focus on in order to cultivate their field of dreams.  These are: 1) setting general goals; 2) selecting a broad liberal arts education; 3) choosing appropriate mentors; 4) learning how to respond to criticism; and, 5) being open to new opportunities.

In setting general goals, Simmons reminds that students "ought to work very hard to get the skills needed to enable them to do a variety of occupations."  That's where a liberal arts course load comes in.

A vocal proponent for liberal arts education, Simmons said, "Many people will advise first generation college students and minority students to go into a narrow education to get a good job. But, in fact I think that history has shown that it is just as valuable to have a broad liberal arts education behind you [because] the narrow field that you might have specialized in at one time may not be of use to you when you are 40 years old."

Staunchly committed to liberal arts, Simmons acknowledges that there is some opposition to such degrees. "For those who think liberal arts study is not practical, I would say, in fact, it is very practical," countered Simmons. " It gives you a grounding in a lot of areas that are needed, especially for kids who come from very impoverished backgrounds, like I did."

Her advice? "[Take] some combination of arts, science, philosophy.  Cover the broad areas of intellectual knowledge, not just your social sciences and not just what you've gotten into your head you want to do."

Like goal setting and liberal arts courses, Simmons advocates choosing appropriate mentors in order to achieve personal and career success. Asked how young people can better endure mentoring, which can sometimes be painful, she quickly responded, "People have the wrong idea about mentors. They think mentors are people who are supposed to be nice to them and tell them how wonderful they are and tell them 'Way to go", or 'You go girl.' That's not what being a mentor is."  A mentor, she says, " Is someone who shows the way that you don't know [and] some of the possibilities you might contemplate in life."

Brown University

For students seeking mentors, Simmons suggests seeking out individuals not in one's chosen career field.  "Sometimes the person who might mentor you the best is the person who does not have the job that you want, but [is] someone who has the character that you need," she explained.  And, instead of directly asking people to serve as mentors, Simmons suggests a more laid back approach. "Watch them," she said. "Try to emulate them. Learn how they think. Learn how they solve problems. Learn how they interact with others. Learn how they respond to criticism."

In her illustrious career, Simmons has learned to bounce back from critical remarks and use them to her advantage.  She suggests others do the same.

Said Simmons: "Minority students do not respond too well to criticism.  And, many of them get crushed by it.  Well, heck, how can you grow?  Get help and wisdom and try to respond to it the best way you can."

Looking ahead to her future, Simmons is excited about the new turn her career has taken.  While she counts down the days to July 1, she invites students to "Be open to the possibilities in everything. Everything is a chance for you to do something interesting and to build on your knowledge."

How can someone do this successfully?  "First, be patient," said Simmons. "This [Brown presidency] is coming after many, many years of learning. Don't rush it, because if you rush it, you'll miss some steps that you'll need later in life. Take your time.  Pay attention to your spiritual life, pay attention to your [character] development. Second, keep in mind that a job is a job is a job. But, a life is something that is just too short. Live a life that you can be happy with."

Lisa A. Crayton is a contributing writer.