Morgan Made: Ruthe T. Sheffey

Dr. Ruthe T. Sheffey (’47), a longtime professor at Morgan State, is one of the nation’s leading authorities on African-American literature and women’s literature, especially the works of Zora Neale Hurston. Sheffey is the founder of the Zora Neale Hurston Society and the Founding Editor of the Zora Neale Hurston Forum.

During her tenure as the Chairperson of the Department of English at Morgan, Dr. Sheffey set new standards for learning by making multi-cultural courses a requirement in hopes of enhancing students’ appreciation for authors and readings from around the world. Although she has retired, Sheffey is still hailed as one of the university’s best professors and as one of the nation’s best African-American literary critics.