Ruth J. Simmons was the President of Brown University. In this role, Simmons made significant strides in improving Brown University’s standing as one of the world’s finest research universities during her tenure from 2001 to 2012.

Simmons, who was the 18th President of Brown, was the first Black President at an Ivy League

institution. Prior to that, Simmons served in various faculty and administrative roles at the University of Southern California, Princeton University, and Spelman College before becoming President of Smith College, the largest women’s college in the United States.

Simmons is a member of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Simmons has received many awards, including the Brown Faculty’s highest honor: the “Susan Colver Rosenberger Medal” in 2011. In 2012, Simmons was named a ‘chevalier’ of the French Legion of Honor.

Simmons holds a Bachelor’s degree from Dillard University and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Romance Literature from Harvard University.