Lewis, Ruth B. Memorial Scholarship
The Ruth B. Lewis Memorial Scholarship was created through gifts given in memory of Dr. Lewis, who served on the faculty of The University of Akron School of Communication from 1966 until her death in 1992. A vibrant and energetic professor who was deeply committed to her students, Dr. Lewis was the first chair of the department of mass media communication, a forerunner of the School of Communication. She was one of the first educators to be inducted into the Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame, and in 1994 her life and achievements were celebrated posthumously as Woman of the Year. At the University, Dr. Lewis helped launch the Women’s Studies Program, and she was a founding member of the Affirmative Action Commission.
Ruth Bartlett Lewis received her Ph.D. in 1961 from the Ohio State University after working in Cincinnati’s fledgling broadcast industry in the late 1950s. In 1966, she brought her professional experience to Akron to become the general manager of WAUP-FM, which is now WZIP-FM, and to develop the mass media curriculum. On March 28, 1992, Dr. Lewis died from an apparent heart attack; she would have been 59 on April 13. Driving back to Ohio after spending time with her ill mother in Florida, Dr. Lewis complained of trouble breathing while she was at a rest stop in Kentucky. She was taken to a local hospital, where she died.
The Ruth B. Lewis Memorial Scholarship was established to support communication students who are pursuing a media emphasis; preference will be given those with a news interest, particularly in the production of documentaries. Students need to be citizens of the United States and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for scholarship consideration. To honor her passion and activism in human rights, the scholarship was established to support women and minorities; therefore, preference will be given to female and/or minority students. Recipients of The Ruth B. Lewis Memorial Scholarship shall be selected by the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences School of Communication, in cooperation with the office of Student Financial Aid.
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