MACOMB, IL- The Black Student Alumni Association and Western Illinois University are inviting the campus and Macomb community to join them at noon, Saturday, Oct. 18 as they remember the life and legacy of Essie Rutledge who passed away June 1.
The memorial will take place after the homecoming parade and be celebrated on the grounds of the Gwendolyn Brooks Memorial Park along West Adams Street.
Rutledge, the first African American woman to be a department chair in the history of WIU, dedicated her life as a tireless advocate, distinguished educator and notable scholar. She obtained her undergraduate degree at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University continuing her education by obtaining her graduate degree at the University of Wisconsin and earning her doctorate in Sociology from the University of Michigan.
'We loved and respected Dr. Rutledge,' said British Jefferson, president of the WIU Black Alumni Association and member Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
'As a young person, we did not fully understand her motives but as we matured, we were able to understand the sacrifices and valuable lessons she made on our behalf.
