After completing her MBA at NYU Stern in 1949, then the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, Dr. Ruth Coles Harris (MBA ’49) began a trailblazing career that continues to inspire generations. Most recently, Virginia Union University (VUU) honored her living legacy at the Ruth Coles Harris Leadership Institute Awards Luncheon, a celebration of her impact as a pioneer who opened doors in business and academia.

Throughout her career, Harris has embodied the Stern spirit: driving change and leading with purpose. She graduated at the top of her class at Virginia State College (later University) in 1948 with a business degree, then pursued an MBA at NYU Stern. Harris joined the faculty at Virginia Union University and taught in the commerce department.

She became the first African-American woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Virginia in 1962, and one of the first 100 African-Americans in the U.S. to earn the credential. As the business program at VUU grew–becoming the Sydney Lewis School of Business– she was appointed its first director.

Harris went on to serve on several state commissions and on local and national community and professional boards of directors. In 1977, she received her doctorate in education from the College of William and Mary. Upon her retirement in 1997, she was named a Distinguished Professor Emerita, and a year later Virginia Union awarded her with a Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of her many contributions to the school and her field.

VUU established the Ruth Coles Harris Leadership Institute in 2020 to equip students with skills to lead people, pursue new business opportunities, and address societal challenges that can transform the world.

Photo Courtesy of Special Collections and University Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University