Ruth Cave Flowers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruth Cave Flowers

Ruth Cave Flowers (1903–1980) was a very smart and determined woman. She was one of the first African American women to graduate from the University of Colorado (CU). People who knew her said she had a great love for learning. Ruth was a lawyer and a teacher. She taught at many schools and colleges across the country.

Growing Up: Ruth's Early Life

Ruth Cave Flowers was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on March 10, 1903. When she was young, her parents divorced, and her father left. Ruth's mother passed away when Ruth was only 10 or 11 years old.

After her mother died, Ruth went to live with her grandmother, Minnesota Waters, and her sister, Dorothy. They lived in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Ruth remembered these four years as some of the happiest in her life. She and her sister did not experience any racial unfairness there.

However, things changed when they moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1917. In Boulder, Ruth and her family faced racial discrimination. Ruth believed this unfairness came from people who moved to Boulder from southern states. These newcomers often took over local businesses and even influenced the University of Colorado.

Ruth and her family moved to Boulder so she could get a good education. They first rented a house, and then in 1921, they built their own home. This house is now a special landmark in Boulder.

Ruth went to the State Preparatory School, which is now called Boulder High School. While in high school, she worked hard to help her family. She worked in a laundry and a restaurant. She finished high school in 1920. However, the principal, who was racist, refused to give her a diploma. He claimed it was because of a missing assignment, but Ruth knew she had completed it.

Even without a high school diploma, Ruth was accepted into the University of Colorado. She had earned all the necessary high school credits. She decided to study foreign languages. The president of CU, George Norlin, was against the Ku Klux Klan. He helped Ruth stay in school by giving her a job doing laundry.

For a long time, people thought Ruth was the first African American woman to graduate from CU. Later, it was discovered that Lucile Buchanan was actually the first. Unlike Lucile, Ruth was allowed to walk at her graduation ceremony in 1924. However, she was still not allowed to eat in the campus dining halls.

Ruth's Amazing Career Journey

After graduating from the University of Colorado, Ruth found it hard to get a job in the West. This was because of discrimination. She found a job teaching languages at Claflin College in South Carolina. She taught there from 1924 to 1928.

Ruth returned to Boulder every summer. In 1929 or 1930, she earned a master's degree in French and Education from CU. She did this while also taking care of her grandmother.

Next, Ruth moved to Washington, D.C.. She taught at Dunbar High School from 1931 to 1945. While teaching, she also went to Robert F. Terrell Law School at night. She started law school in 1935 and earned her law degree in 1945.

Ruth and her husband at the time opened a law office. They practiced law together for a few years. Ruth then went back to school again. In 1951, she earned a PhD in foreign languages and literature from Catholic University of America in Washington.

From 1951 to 1959, Ruth worked as a professor at North Carolina College in Durham. This school is now called North Carolina Central University.

In 1959, after spending a year in Spain, Ruth returned to her home in Boulder. She became the head of the foreign language department at Fairview High School. She held this job until she retired in 1967. Ruth was the first African American teacher in the Boulder Valley School District.

Ruth also taught a course on African American literature. This was part of the Black Studies program at the University of Colorado. She taught this course from 1970 to 1971.

Finally, in 1977, Ruth was awarded a diploma from Boulder High School. This happened when she was giving the graduation speech! Harvard University even chose her as one of four outstanding teachers in America. Ruth once said, "I really want to see a time when we won't have to be concerned with black awareness, brown awareness, women's rights, or whatever, but simply human rights and human awareness."

Ruth's Family and Legacy

Ruth Cave Flowers married Harold Flowers in 1937. They later divorced in 1949. Their son, Harold "Sonny" Flowers, Jr., also earned a bachelor's degree and a law degree from CU. He worked as an attorney. Sonny passed away on July 29, 2020, at the age of 74.

Ruth Cave Flowers passed away on November 20, 1980. Her life showed great strength and a deep commitment to education and fairness.

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