Grace E. Harris, Ph.D.

1997 Honoree

While a student at Hampton University, Grace Harris changed her major from mathematics to sociology so that she could improve the quality of life for Virginians. To achieve this new goal, she had planned to earn a master's degree in social work at the Richmond Professional Institute, but in spite of her superb academic record, she was denied admission because of her race.

In 1967 when the institute was part of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Dr. Harris became an assistant professor in its Graduate School of Social Work, This strong woman had no bitter feelings about the incident; she viewed it as "a dream deferred" - full of irony, sadness, and ignorance - and stepped forward to meet the challenge.

Dr. Harris has made outstanding contributions to the students and faculty at VCU and its community as a professor, director of student affairs, dean of the graduate school of social work and currently as provost and vice president of academic affairs. Briefly, during the summer of 1995, she was acting president.

This scholar never sought these positions. "My career is not something I planned", she states. "I never said at age 10, one day I'm going to become a provost, By doing things well, people had expectations that I would move into another level of my career." At every level, she surpassed expectations and this talent became an important factor in her management style. To her, "Success is a journey, not a destination." Important mileposts along the way have included significant changes in the school of social work enabling it to maintain its local and national reputation in spite of cutbacks in federal funding; spearheading VCU's strategic plan; helping to develop a new school of engineering; and facilitating significant improvements for women and minorities.

Dr. Harris is a gracious and business-like woman, wielding power gracefully and unobtrusively, she daily chips away at inequality wherever she finds it. "I take the most pride in my efforts to, in all things, live up to my name, "Grace". It is a family name and embodies the essence of many of the values held by my family of origin - charity, beneficence, and concern for humanity."