User:JaneClawsten/Dr. Jennie Mae Rucker

Dr. Jennie Mae Rucker (1922 - 2018) was an educator in Denver, Colorado. Her advocacy for Black children earned her a place in the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame.

Biography
Jennie Mae Rucker was born in Texas in 1922. She had three siblings: Louis, Bertha, and Alma.

She moved to Denver and grew up on the west side. She attended Fairvew Elementary School, Lake Middle School, and West High School. She graduated from West in 1940.

She attended the University of Denver for her bachelor's degree and her doctoral degree in library science. She recieved her Ed.D. from the University of Northern Colorado.

She married George Webster Rucker. He was the first Black pharmacy school graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder, and owned Rucker's Drug Store. While her husband attended CU Boulder, they lived with a local family because the university did not allow Black students to live on campus.

They had one son, George.

Her first job was in Washington D.C. during World War II as a stenographer.

Rucker was a secretary and substitute teacher at Denver Public Schools. She was secretary at Barrett Elementary School for 10 years, then secretary at Whittier Elementary School for 6 years.

She was the secretary of the resident participation education committee, part of the Denver Model City program.

She was a founding faculty member at the Community College of Denver. She taught in the business and management division. She also led special programs such as the cooperative education program which gave students job training while earning college credits.

In 1971, she ran for the Denver Board of Education. She was appointed to a Black Education Advisory Committee by the Denver Board of Education.

She sang in the National Negro Opera Company and the Spiritual Projects Choir.

Rucker and her husband owned a cabin at Winks Panorama, an African American mountain recreational facility during a time when it was dangerous for African Americans to travel in the US. She attended Camp Nizhoni as a child, before returning as an adult to stay in the Honeymoon Cabin frequently with her husband. In 1953, the couple bought a cabin in Lincoln Hills.

She was part of the board of the Colorado Historical Society.

In 1981, she received the award for Outstanding Service to School and Community, from the DIstrict Parent Advisory Council, ESEA Title I, and Denver Public Schools.

In 1983, she ran for a Counselor-at-Large seat on the Denver City Council. Her campaign focused on the needs of young adults and the elderly, as they had the greatest need.

Rucker retired from the Community College of Denver, then became the librarian at the Denver Public Library Ford-Warren branch.

In 2014, she was honored in the Salute to Excellence in Education as one of the Distinguished Educators of the Year.

Death and legacy
Rucker died on September 7, 2018 in Denver, Colorado.

She was honored by the Denver Public Library as an inductee to the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame.