Throughout February, in honor of Black History Month, we will be highlighting people and organizations that have made an impact on the Case Western Reserve community and society as a whole.
Double alumna Stephanie Tubbs Jones (FSM ’71, LAW ’74), founded the university’s Afro-American Society (now the African American Society) as an undergraduate student and was an active member of the Black Students Law Association. She went on to become the first black woman to become a Common Pleas court judge in Ohio, the first black woman in Ohio to become a county prosecutor, and the first black woman elected to represent Ohio in Congress.
Tubbs Jones, who passed away in 2008, left a remarkable legacy. Her memory is honored in multiple ways at Case Western Reserve.
Each spring, one underrepresented undergraduate student is selected to receive the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Award, a scholarship established to recognize significant contributions to campus life, scholarship, and community service. Proceeds from a 5K race and 1-mile fun run held each year during homecoming weekend in honor of Tubbs Jones are used to fund the scholarship.
Nominations for the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Award, administered through the Office of Student Activities & Leadership, are being accepted now through CampusGroups.
One of the newest residence halls on campus is also named for the much-admired alumnae. The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Residence Hall, a name suggested by a student group, opened in Fall 2015, and is located at 1576 E. 115th Street.