Remembering Dr. Ruth S. Njiiri
We were saddened to learn that Dr. Ruth S. Njiiri, 93, died on Tuesday, 29 November 2022 at Life Care of Wilbraham MA.
We honored Dr. Njiiri as a Trustee Emerita at our Annual Meeting in September of 2021 in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the Museums. In addition to her career as a teacher in the Springfield Public Schools, Dr. Ruth S. Njiiri was the personal secretary to Kenya’s first president, MzeeJomo Kenyatta, leading up to Kenya’s Independence and then post- Independence. Dr. Njiiri served on the Board of Trustees from 1990-99, and again from 2004-2013. She received her Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst School of Education and her expertise as an educator informed her work at the Museums.
During her ten-year term as chair of the African Hall Steering Committee, R.E. Phelon African Hall was transformed from a display of Africa’s animals to an introduction to the continent’s developmental stages, leading up to the infusion of Africans on American soil, all of this with emphasis being placed on Africa’s people. As chair, Dr. Njiiri initiated the Ubora Award, which recognizes African-Americans from Greater Springfield who, in the fields of education, science, the arts and humanities, have shown exceptional devotion in their voluntary activities. Later, the Ahadi Youth Award was established to honor an African American young adult who had excelled in school and the greater community and shows strong potential for continued excellence in the future. In 2021, the Museums recognized the 30th Anniversary of the Ubora Award which has become an important and well-known celebration in the community and a signature event for the Museums.
A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, January 21, 2023, at the Third Baptist Church, 149 Walnut Street, Springfield, MA.
Image: Dr. Ruth S. Njiiri with her son Kari, photographed by Ed Cohen.
Related Posts
