Ruth Pauley Lecture Series

RUTH M. PAULEY (1909-1986) moved to Moore County in 1978 after her retirement from a distinguished career in social work in the United States and abroad. Here she continued working for many professional and community interests through numerous volunteer activities. In 1982, North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt named her the Volunteer of the Year of Moore County.

THE PEOPLE

After the death of Ruth Pauley in 1986, Dr. Raymond Stone, then-president of Sandhills Community College, and Eunice Minton, a close friend of Miss Pauley, initiated discussion about establishing a memorial to Ruth. Larry Allen, Edna Bryan, Mary Dezarn, Virginia Leiss, and Jane McPhaul completed the steering committee. After input from interested friends of Ruth Pauley, a decision was made to honor her by establishing a lecture series under her name for the purpose of critical studies of a local, state, national or world issue of concern to the citizens of Moore County.

THE PURPOSE

The mission of the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series is to deepen society’s understanding of key issues and encourage public participation in their resolution.

About Ruth Pauley

RUTH M. PAULEY (1909-1986) was a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and was educated in Ohio public schools. She graduated from Elmira College in New York and received an MSW from Case Western Reserve University.

Her career began with positions in local social service agencies and the Social Security Regional Office in Cleveland. She also worked in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration serving in Italy and Greece, the Social Security Administration in Washington, D.C., as an international consultant, and the Boston Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare as a consultant to the New England states.

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Throughout her entire career Miss Pauley identified and studied human needs in each community and worked cooperatively with local residents to meet them. She held a firm conviction that women could make special contributions in understanding and bringing about resolution to social problems.

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She was also deeply committed to the cause of world peace. In 1983, she chaired a committee working with the local AAUW and Sandhills Community College to organize a series of six free lectures by nationally recognized authorities who presented the pros and cons of the arms race.

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These lectures were well attended and warmly received by the community. They provided the incentive for the beginning of the lecture series.