Ruth Coles Harris is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Business School Dean Emeritus at Virginia Union University and the first African-American woman to become a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  She was among the first 100 African-Americans in the United States to become CPAs.

Her 48-year career was spent at Virginia Union University as a professor and administrator, where she was the founding Dean of the Sydney Lewis School of Business.  She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them The State Council For Higher Education For Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award, The Tenneco Excellence in Teaching Award, The Sears Roebuck Foundation Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award and the Fox TV Network’s Black Achiever’s Award, to name a few.

She is the inaugural recipient of the Ruth Coles Harris Advancing Diversity and Inclusion Award, which is awarded annually by the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.  The Ruth Coles Harris Leadership Institute, established in the Sydney Lewis School of Business at Virginia Union University, is in her honor.   Harris was the recipient of the Virginia Business and Professional Women’s Leadership Award  given by the Business and Professional Women’s Association Foundation.   She was also selected by the Library of Virginia for inclusion in Virginia Women in History.   She is the recipient of the Richmond North Chapter #5356, AARP’s Community Service Award.

Because of her service to the accounting profession, she was recognized jointly by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants as Virginia’s Outstanding Accounting Educator (the first female to be so recognized by VSCPA).  She also received the Distinguished Career in Accounting Award from VSCPA.
 

About Us: A premier historically black university, with a rich heritage and outstanding legacy of producing world-renown leaders; Virginia Union University offers its students "The Promise of A Limitless Future."​ (c)

Located on 84 acres in the heart of Richmond, Virginia Union University, the beautiful and scenic campus showcases historic architecture, while providing comprehensive undergraduate liberal arts programs and graduate education for Christian ministries. To this end, a guiding principle of the University's educational program is a strong focus upon moral values and ethics, and students are encouraged to engage in activities that promote self-actualization.