Born: 1920 (Stamford, Connecticut)
Died: 2013
Biography:
Colonel Ruth Alice Lucas (November 28, 1920 – March 23, 2013) was the first African American woman in the Air Force to be promoted to the rank of colonel. At the time of her retirement, she held the distinction of being the highest-ranking African American woman in the Air Force. Lucas made significant contributions to the military, education, and the advancement of African Americans, leaving a lasting legacy.
Lucas was born in Stamford, Connecticut, on November 28, 1920. She grew up during a time of racial segregation and faced numerous challenges due to racial prejudice. However, despite these obstacles, she remained determined to overcome adversity and make a difference.
In 1942, shortly after her graduation, Lucas enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). She was one of the first black women to attend what is now the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA. In 1947, she transferred from the Army to the newly created Air Force, marking the beginning of her groundbreaking career.
Lucas was a 1942 education graduate of what is now Tuskegee University in Alabama. During her time stationed at an Air Force base in Tokyo in the early 1950s, she took on the role of teaching English to Japanese schoolchildren and college students in her spare time. Her passion for education led her to pursue a master’s degree in educational psychology from Columbia University in 1957.
In the early 1960s, Lucas relocated to the Washington, D.C. area, where she took on various positions, mainly in research and education. Her exemplary dedication and competence eventually led to her being named a colonel in 1968. At the time of her promotion, she served as a general education and counseling services assistant in the office of the deputy assistant secretary of defense for education at the Pentagon.
One of Lucas’s most significant contributions was her creation, organization, and implementation of special literacy programs aimed at increasing the education levels of service personnel. She recognized the importance of education and aimed to motivate and inspire servicemen to continue their education. Lucas explained in a 1969 interview with Ebony Magazine, Most people don’t realize that among all the servicemen who enter the military annually, about 45,000 of them read below the fifth-grade level, and more than 30 percent of these men are black. Right now if I have any aim, it’s just to reach these men, to interest them in education and to motivate them to continue on.
Her dedication to improving education in the military had a profound impact on the lives of many servicemen, including retired Master Sgt. Alfonzo Hall, who served in the same division as Lucas in the 1950s. Hall remarked, She saw the big picture. Every day, every month, and every quarter, we men saw results. She ate, slept, and breathed training. She believed it was critical for military and civilian life.
Lucas’s unwavering commitment to helping and supporting individuals extended beyond her military career. She genuinely cared for people from all backgrounds and sought to uplift and assist them. Her compassion and dedication earned her the respect and admiration of colleagues and servicemen alike.
Upon retiring from the Air Force, Colonel Ruth Lucas left an indelible legacy of service, leadership, and dedication to education. Her achievements as the first African American woman to reach the rank of colonel in the Air Force and her contributions to improving education within the military continue to inspire and impact future generations. Ruth A. Lucas’s story serves as a testament to the resilience and strength of African American women throughout history.