
Dr. Ruth Lucier—small, soft-spoken, and unassuming—seemed to take up so little space. Yet her footprints were deep—as is our grief over her loss. For 47 unfailing years, she devoted her life to Bennett College and to her students—serving as a guide to them and a touchstone for all of us.
She came to Bennett in 1973 after earning a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, and she stayed—quietly stitching herself into the fabric of the college community. As a professor of philosophy and ethics, she helped students expand their understanding of the world, of themselves, and of one another. As the director of the Interdisciplinary Studies program, she helped students find and forge their own unique life paths.
The Interdisciplinary Studies program will be her academic legacy. It has been described as an experiment, launched in the 70s, that encouraged (and trusted) Bennett women to direct their own course of study. She was an ideal shepherd for such a program, because she knew how to help each young woman see a world of possibility in herself. They could see their own potential, because it was reflected in her belief in them.
Her students call her a cheerleader, a supporter, a mentor, a guide. She didn’t steer them in the way she wanted them to go; she helped them find their own way. Her guidance did not end when they completed her philosophy classes or even when they graduated. Former students called on her as their lives evolved and she continued to advise and encourage them through graduate studies, career shifts, and life changes. When they reached a crossroads, she pointed them back to their truth and, thus, to their dreams. When her students thanked her, she turned that gratitude back to them. Her delight was in their accomplishment.
Perhaps Dr. Lucier was able to be so generous because she kept her own cup full. As a scholar of philosophy, she reveled in the life of the mind and the world of ideas. She wrote and published prolifically and participated in associations and organizations devoted to the contemplation and study of values, ethics and moral ideals—including the United Methodist Church. She sought opportunities to study under thought leaders in the fields of religion, philosophy and the humanities. Whenever she could, she took the opportunity to travel, exploring the farthest reaches of the world—China, Egypt, India—to engage with its people.
To her former students—hundreds of them—she was not simply a professor. She was a singular, inimitable being of venerable generosity and unfailing encouragement. “She was so kind,” her students say. “So kind.” It’s a word we seldom have use for these days. People are “nice.” They are “sweet.” And she was that, too. But kindness speaks of a deeper benevolence, an empathy, the profound ability to consider the humanity of another. Ruth Lucier was kind.
The memory many of us have of Dr. Lucier is at important college ceremonies, clad in full regalia, proudly carrying the college mace. It seemed to overwhelm her small frame. How can she hold it? But she never struggled. She held it high and proud, her face alight and smiling. She knew that she was not carrying an object; she was holding up an ideal. In that way, she didn’t carry it alone—she made us carry it with her.
In her life, Dr. Lucier often expressed her love for the natural world—each small, wild, God-made thing. In reverence for the earth, she trod lightly upon it. Now we can imagine her floating away from it, and us, altogether—growing smaller and more distant until nothing is left but the warmth of her smile.
Dr. Ruth Lucier—small, soft-spoken, and unassuming—seemed to take up so little space. Yet her footprints were deep—as is our grief over her loss. For 47 unfailing years, she devoted her life to Bennett College and to her students—serving as a guide to them and a touchstone for all of us.
She came to Bennett in 1973 after earning a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, and she stayed—quietly stitching herself into the fabric of the college community. As a professor of philosophy and ethics, she helped students expand their understanding of the world, of themselves, and of one another. As the director of the Interdisciplinary Studies program, she helped students find and forge their own unique life paths.
The Interdisciplinary Studies program will be her academic legacy. It has been described as an experiment, launched in the 70s, that encouraged (and trusted) Bennett women to direct their own course of study. She was an ideal shepherd for such a program, because she knew how to help each young woman see a world of possibility in herself. They could see their own potential, because it was reflected in her belief in them.
Her students call her a cheerleader, a supporter, a mentor, a guide. She didn’t steer them in the way she wanted them to go; she helped them find their own way. Her guidance did not end when they completed her philosophy classes or even when they graduated. Former students called on her as their lives evolved and she continued to advise and encourage them through graduate studies, career shifts, and life changes. When they reached a crossroads, she pointed them back to their truth and, thus, to their dreams. When her students thanked her, she turned that gratitude back to them. Her delight was in their accomplishment.
Perhaps Dr. Lucier was able to be so generous because she kept her own cup full. As a scholar of philosophy, she reveled in the life of the mind and the world of ideas. She wrote and published prolifically and participated in associations and organizations devoted to the contemplation and study of values, ethics and moral ideals—including the United Methodist Church. She sought opportunities to study under thought leaders in the fields of religion, philosophy and the humanities. Whenever she could, she took the opportunity to travel, exploring the farthest reaches of the world—China, Egypt, India—to engage with its people.
To her former students—hundreds of them—she was not simply a professor. She was a singular, inimitable being of venerable generosity and unfailing encouragement. “She was so kind,” her students say. “So kind.” It’s a word we seldom have use for these days. People are “nice.” They are “sweet.” And she was that, too. But kindness speaks of a deeper benevolence, an empathy, the profound ability to consider the humanity of another. Ruth Lucier was kind.
The memory many of us have of Dr. Lucier is at important college ceremonies, clad in full regalia, proudly carrying the college mace. It seemed to overwhelm her small frame. How can she hold it? But she never struggled. She held it high and proud, her face alight and smiling. She knew that she was not carrying an object; she was holding up an ideal. In that way, she didn’t carry it alone—she made us carry it with her.
In her life, Dr. Lucier often expressed her love for the natural world—each small, wild, God-made thing. In reverence for the earth, she trod lightly upon it. Now we can imagine her floating away from it, and us, altogether—growing smaller and more distant until nothing is left but the warmth of her smile.
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