Virginia "Ginny" Ruth Scott, English Professor, Poet
Virgina Ruth Scott of Bronx, NY passed away on Monday, June 30, 2014, after a brave battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Ginny was born on Feb. 19, 1938 and was raised in Medford, MA where she graduated Medford High School in 1955. She was the daughter of the late Gordon and Janie (Adams) Scott. Ginny spent childhood summers in Golden Grove and Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada where her parents and their extended families grew up. It was her touchstone. Images of Golden Grove and the Scott and Adams families were regular topics in many of her works of poetry.
While attending Boston University, she lived at the Harriet E. Richards Cooperative House. She received several academic honors for her Bachelors in Comparative Literature (graduated 1959). In 1960, she completed a University Fellowship at University of Wisconson-Madison, where she received a Masters degree in French language.
In 1965, Virginia moved to Manhattan where she taught literature and creative writing in the SEEK program and English Department at Hunter/Lehman College, City University of New York. She was proud of the poetry and Canadian literature programs that she developed. She continued to teach until she retired in 2001.
Virginia was an award-winning poet. She authored several books including Toward Appomattox (1992), The Witness Box (1984), Solidarity Day (1983), Mankessim Stones (1982) and Poems for a Friend in Late Winter (1975). She had numerous articles and placements in journals and magazines including American Voice, Antigonish Review, Prairie Schooner, Bronx Accent, Hyperion, Greenfield Review and Sez. Virginia's passion for poetry and assisting others to have their words published led her to create Sunbury Poetry Magazine and establish Sunbury Press (1973–1986). She was the editor and publisher focusing on women poets, blue-collar poets, minority poets and others who were not given adequate voice elsewhere. She had a keen interest in Canadian writers and translated the works of many French Canadian poets. She maintained connections with many of the most well-known women poets of the past 30 years.
Ginny had a passion for travel and exploring other cultures. After completing her MA degree in French at UWM, she spent two years in France teaching French to American students. She would return to France many times throughout her life, discovering new places, people, and insights each time. Her life and writing was deeply influenced by time spent in Canada, Africa, Scotland, France, and her adopted homes of New York City, and later, the Riverdale section of the Bronx.
She loved living in the Bronx’s Riverdale neighborhood and welcomed its diversity. She was actively involved in numerous community groups, events and causes including the New York Public Library, Riverdale Branch, Book Group; Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Marble Hill Food and Hunger Project, Inc.; Friends of Cortlandt Park; and the Riverdale Y Senior Center.
Thank you to Jackie Pitts (1961) and Sandy Fuhs, Ginny's niece for sharing this information for the HERAA community.
The HERAA Board of Overseers is pleased to present the Fall/Winter 2018 newsletter. Inside you will find updates from HERAA members from the past 60 year, read about this year's house members and see notes from last year's annual meeting. You will also learn about upcoming events like our Annual meeting & Alumnae Tea, scheduled for Sunday April 7, 2019.
As always, we thank you for your involvement and support. Have a safe and healthy holiday season!
Best,
HERAA Board 2018-2019
The 2019 annual meeting of the Harriet E. Richards Alumnae Association will take place Sunday, April 7th from 1-4pm. A formal save the date and invitation will be sent out in the coming months.
Please send news and updates for our upcoming Fall/Winter 2018 newsletter! Fill out a simple form at her-house.org/alumnae/updates or send an email to heralums.191@gmail.com
We'd love to share what's happening in your life with the HERAA community.
The HERAA Summer 2018 Newsletter is now available!
Alumnae received the e-newsletter via email this week and can also log in to her-house.org/alumnae to access the newsletter online. The newsletter includes a report back from the 2018 Alumnae Tea, as well as updates on the board and upcoming events.
Joyce Macdonald Campbell, age 90, passed away at her residence on November 2, 2017. Joyce was born on July 8, 1927 in West Springfield, Massachusetts to James and May Macdonald. Preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Harrison S. Campbell, her son, Bruce M. Campbell, and her daughter-in-law Jama Mooney, and her sister, May Hubbard. Joyce graduated from Boston University in 1949, the first in her family to attend college. She married Harry Campbell, the love of her life, on June 10, 1950. Joyce worked as an editor for McGraw-Hill, taught elementary school, worked at Wellesley College, and retired from Old South Church in Boston.
Joyce was also an avid volunteer, working with children at the Guadalupe Center and the PTA in Canoga Park, CA, teaching English as a second language in MA, serving in leadership in the League of Women Voters in every state she lived in, and serving with the Wellesley Village Congregational Church. She raised four sons as the family moved throughout the United States, eventually settling in Wellesley, MA.
Joyce will be remembered for her enthusiasm, her passion, her diverse interests, her epic Thanksgiving dinners and, most of all, for her whole-hearted and selfless devotion to her family. Celebrating her life are her daughter-in-law Constance Lappa (Bruce), her sons Alan (Marcia), Drew (Karen), Harry (Terry), her beloved grandchildren Colin, Megan, Katharine, Elizabeth, Peter, Joe, nieces Jill, Laura, Angela, and Nancy, and nephew Phillip. The family would like to thank the devoted nurses and staff of Friendship Village of Dublin, Ohio for their excellent and loving service to our mother. A celebration of Joyce's life will take place at the Wellesley Village Church in Wellesley, MA on June 2, 2018, starting at 10:30 a.m.
Condolences may be sent to DrewCampbell111@gmail.com. Memorial contributions may be made in Joyce’s name to the Wellesley Village Church at www.wellesleyvillagechurch.org.
Note: For alumnae attending this weekend's 90th anniversary events, please respect the wishes and privacy of current residents and refrain from questioning them on this topic during your visit and during the HERAA Annual Business Meeting. HERAA acknowledges alumnae will have concerns. We will host one or more conference calls later this spring or early summer for alumnae to discuss questions about HERAA’s long-term efforts, described in the statement below. HERAA is available by email and phone in the interim.
Dear Harriet E. Richards Cooperative House alumnae,
It has come to our attention that a recent HER House resident left the House earlier this semester due to upsetting experiences of racism and marginalization in the HER House.
Upon learning of this situation, the Harriet E. Richards Alumnae Association (HERAA) met and continues to engage with this former resident and with several other current residents, including House leadership, to gain a fuller understanding of events leading up to the resident moving out of the House; to learn how HERAA can support individuals who have experienced racism while living in the House; and to assist in building a community of trust, equity and accountability among residents.
Over the coming days and weeks, HERAA will be seeking to determine how we, an Association dedicated to the long-term sustainability of cooperative living at Boston University, can try to address former and current residents’ concerns and contribute to ensuring future residents live in a House that both espouses and practices diversity, equity and inclusion.
HERAA’s actions in the short-term will be guided by the desires of affected continuing residents. These conversations and actions are ongoing. HERAA intends to protect the privacy of the residents regarding the specifics of the situation.
HERAA’s actions in the long-term will be enacted in collaboration with HER House residents and student leadership. HERAA is interested in engaging with Boston University on these issues.
Recognizing racism and marginalization occurs within a larger societal and institutional context, HERAA is discussing the following ideas with House residents:
Ultimately, HERAA takes these issues raised by residents very seriously. We wish to ensure current and future residents are confident they are entering a safe, supportive, inclusive space. We will work in partnership toward this goal, recognizing that the responsibility rests with residents, Boston University and HERAA to establish these conditions both within and outside the gates of the HER House.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Martin, HERAA President, Class of 2007 On behalf of the HERAA Board
We are excited to finally launch a pilot mentorship program! Alumnae mentors will be introduced to their current student mentees at the upcoming Alumnae Tea. They will meet for 2-8 hours a month, either virtually or in person, for one year.
Note that because this is a pilot program we will likely not be able to pair every alumnae who is interested with a current a student mentee. We hope to be able to expand the program next year to foster more mentorship relationships among alumnae.
This year, we will prioritize choosing mentors that are able to attend this year's tea and commit to spending 2-8 hours a month with their mentee. Alumnae who live outside of the Boston area are encouraged to participate, however, will only be matched with students who feel they could form a meaningful connection over video conferences, emails, and phone calls. Mentors will be notified if they have been matched with a mentee by April 1st. her-house.org/mentor
Help preserve our historical photos! HERAA has a number of albums that contain incredible photos of our shared history at HER, but the albums themselves are in need of repair and replacement. Come volunteer and help transfer photos into new preservation-quality albums!
When: Sunday, March 18, 2018 from 1pm-4pm
Where: HER House
How: Email heralums.191@gmail.com if you're able to join us.
Please join the Harriet E. Richards Alumnae Association for our 90th Anniversary Celebration & Alumnae Tea!
Enjoy events all weekend long Friday, April 20th to Sunday, April 22nd in celebration of the establishment of the Harriet E. Richards Cooperative House at Boston University in 1928. her-house.org/90thanniversary for all the details and to register
© 2018 Harriet E. Richards Alumnae Association. All Rights Reserved.
