James S. Ruby was a professor of English at the University. He was instrumental in formally organizing the modern University Alumni Association in 1938.
Background
Ruby was born in Helena, Montana and earned his A.B (1927), M.A (1928), and Ph.D. (1930) at Georgetown.1 Ruby was an English professor at Georgetown, described as popular and well-liked among his peers and students, having taught a majority of freshmen students at the University beginning in 1928. While serving as the chair of the English department, Ruby edited a collection of verse with Phillip Kane titled Georgetown Anthology.
With the outbreak of World war II, Ruby served as lieutenant colonel in the United States army. After the war, the University president personally requested for Ruby to serve as Alumni Secretary. In this position, Ruby revived the Alumni Association in advance of the University's 150th anniversary, a group that had remained inactive for decades. He also wrote another book on the history of Georgetown, specifically on Georgetown during the Civil War titled, The Blue and the Gray. Ruby used the University archives to create the first comprehensive alumni directory and spearheaded the creation of the Alumni Magazine, the Alumni House, and the Annual Fund.3, 2
On May 5, 1956, Ruby received the John Carroll Award, which is a prestigious award given to Georgetown alumni who exemplify the ideals of the University.
On February 1, 1964, Ruby passed away from a heart attack at the age of 58. He had devoted 26 years of his life in service of Georgetown. University president Edward B. Bunn S.J. said in the aftermath of his death that "There was no more devoted student, teacher and alumnus in all of Georgetown's 175-year history."
In 2008, the Alumni Association established the James S. Ruby Award for any faculty member who demonstrated outstanding service to alumni activities, such as Georgetown University's Board of Governors, regionals, class programs.4 Recipients have included Professor Victor Cha, John Glavin, Marc Howard, and Elizabeth Grimm Arsenault.
- 1"Dr. Ruby's Demise From Heart Attack Ends Long Service." The Hoya, Feb 13, 1964. http://hdl.handle.net/10822/555198
- 3John J. Tunmore, "The Alumni Association...Its History," Georgetown University Alumni Association Magazine, March 1954, Vol. 6, No. 6, p. 5. http://hdl.handle.net/10822/709108
- 2"James S. Ruby." John Carroll Awards, 1956. https://johncarrollawards.com/1956.htm#
- 4"GUAA Awards." Georgetown University Alumni Association. https://alumni.georgetown.edu/connect/join-groups/alumni-association/guaa-awards/
