Literacy pioneer, Ruth Johnson Colvin, a member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, will be the speaker for Le Moyne’s 68th undergraduate commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 20. At the ceremony, Colvin will receive an honorary degree, as will two other individuals — Oren Lyons, an activist for indigenous and environmental justice, and Sean Kirst, an award-winning journalist and author.
Colvin is the founder of the non-profit organization ProLiteracy Worldwide, previously known as Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA), which was formed in Syracuse in 1962. ProLiteracy supports programs that help adults learn to read and write, and is the largest organization of its type in the country, with over 1,000 member programs in the U.S. as well as a presence in 25 countries worldwide.
Born on Dec. 16, 1916 in Chicago, Colvin received a two-year degree in business from Thornton Junior College in Harvey, Ill., in 1936, attended Moser Business College and Northwestern University, and also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Syracuse University in 1959.
In the early 1960s, she discovered that Syracuse had more than 11,000 people functionally illiterate and took steps to combat this. Before forming LVA, she developed tutor training manuals to aid volunteers in this endeavor, and they are still considered authoritative sources for the purpose of training basic literacy to adults.
Literacy Volunteers of America was officially chartered in 1967. She created the ‘English as a Second Language’ training program and helped to found ‘The National Coalition for Literacy’ in the following years to increase public awareness of this issue.
Over the past 20 years, Colvin has aided with training in African countries, such as Swaziland and Zambia, and formed some of the only literacy programs in those nations. In 2002, Literacy Volunteers merged with a similar organization, Laubach Literacy International, to form, what is now known as, ProLiteracy Worldwide. There are currently more than 100,000 volunteers and students connected to this organization, including Ruth herself who, at the age of 101, still volunteers in U.S. and abroad.
In December 2006, Colvin was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush to honor her life’s work. She has published nine books, received more than 30 awards and honors for her efforts, and received seven honorary doctorates. Other notable awards include the Women’s Day National Award, the President’s Volunteers Action Award and the Rotarian International Harris Award. In 1993, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
In addition to Colvin, also receiving a Doctor of Humane Letters Honorary Degree will be Oren Lyons and Sean Kirst.
Lyons, a member of the Onondaga and Seneca nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, is an activist for indigenous and environmental justice, working with communities around the world. As a Faithkeeper, he upholds the history and traditions of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga and Seneca. Oren often addresses modern-day conflicts by sharing traditional views on the law of nature.
Kirst, a public speaker, author and award-winning journalist, uses the power of strong writing to make transformative contributions in his community. Kirst has dedicated much of his career to advocating for positive change in Upstate New York.
