Early Life and Education
Simmons was born in Grapeland, Texas, the last of 12 children of Fanny (née Campbell) and Isaac Stubblefield. Her father was a share cropper until the family moved to Houston during her school years. His father descends partly from Benza and Kota people slave from Gabon. She earned her bachelor's degree, on scholarship, from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1967. She went on to earn her master's and doctorate in Romance literature from Harvard University in 1970 and 1973, respectively.
Read more about this topic: Ruth Simmons
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