FAMU J-Dean Calls It Quits

Dean Robert Ruggles

After 29 years of laboring to build the Florida A&M University School of Journalism and Graphic Communication program, a graduate program and now a new building, Dean Robert Ruggles said the job's stress and pressure has forced him to call it quits.

"I'd rather walk out of here than be carried out of here -- dead," Ruggles said.

Ruggles, 64, who has suffered from several health problems recently, said his reasons for the decision to leave are not simple.

Attributing the decision to a "culmination of things," Ruggles said inadequate funding for the new building, lack of support from FAMU administration and internal glitches, coupled with his health and age, pushed him into professional exhaustion.

"I'm tired of pushing a boulder up a hill that only comes back to hit me in the head," Ruggles said as he formally announced his resignation to his school’s faculty and staff Friday

Ruggles, who founded the Division of Journalism in 1974, said he had been contemplating leaving FAMU since the spring semester, and sent a formal letter of resignation to Larry Robinson, provost and vice president, two weeks ago.

Faculty and staff members said Ruggles, the 1998 Freedom Forum Journalism Administrator of the Year, will be hard to replace. He was visibly emotional and struggling against tears as he said goodbye to staff members.

"I was saddened . . . it's unfortunate," said Joe Ritchie, Knight Chair and professor of journalism. "Robert Ruggles has built, almost from scratch, one of the top journalism schools in the country.

Under Ruggles' watch, FAMU became the first HBCU with an accredited journalism program. He developed sequences in newspaper journalism, broadcast journalism and public relations. Since then, he has helped other HBCUs receive accreditation for their journalism programs, including Jackson State, Grambling and Hampton universities.

Trevor Brown, dean of the School of Journalism at Indiana University in Bloomington, who has known Ruggles for 15 years, spoke of the dean's effectiveness.

"He is a very quiet person, but has strong convictions. His quietness helps him to get things done," Brown said from Indiana Friday. "My sense is that it's (the program) in a much better position now than when he got there."

According to his office records, Ruggles has single-handedly raised $15 million for the school.

"He is for FAMU," said his administrative secretary of 13 years, Maryann Travis.

"(People say an) HBCU don't need white deans, but let me tell you something ... if a student didn't have money, he would take money out of his pocket and give it to them."

Travis said Ruggles often worked until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. on fundraising endeavors for the new building.

Others in the department said they were pleased that Ruggles would finally get to do one thing people rarely saw him do - rest.

"I'd like to see him get that well-deserved sleep, because he does do a lot," said Ron James, professor of graphic communication. "He deserves to wake up when he wants to."

Ruggles' last day is Friday and he said he plans to take time to rest, catch up on pleasure reading and travel. He and his wife plan to remain in Tallahassee and do consulting work.

Angie Green and Robyn Mizelle are students at FAMU who write for The Famuan. Green can be reached at ; Mizelle at .

Posted Sept. 22, 2003