[Macon, Georgia] – Catholic private school, Mount de Sales Academy, located in Macon, Georgia, announces the establishment of the Judge Betty Willis Ruben Center for Global Studies at Mount de Sales Academy. The global studies center is made possible with a generous bequest from alumna Judge Betty Willis Ruben, a Mount de Sales Academy graduate from the class of 1944, who passed away on April 28, 2024.
The global studies center will be transformative to the development of Mount de Sales students as compassionate global citizens and servant leaders, a deeply engrained component of the Academy’s mission. It will serve as the springboard for cross-cultural connections and immersive experiences to continue nurturing global relations within the Mount de Sales community.
“…Betty Willis’ young life was shaped by the Sisters of Mount de Sales,” noted a trustee of Judge Ruben’s estate, Ms. Lisa Fevola. “She credits those sisters, the education she received, and the lifelong friendships she made at the school with helping her become the confident, successful, driven lifelong learner that she was. [Judge Ruben] mentored and helped many people throughout her career in the Kennedy White House, the Cuyahoga County Probate Court, and the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, but she recalls her foundation at Mount de Sales as the beginning of all her successes.”
Judge Ruben graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with her undergraduate degree and became one of the first women to graduate from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with an M.B.A. with a concentration in Industrial Relations and Labor Law. She then attained her J.D. from George Washington University. Judge Ruben worked for the Washington, D.C. Department of Health. She served on the staff of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson as the Executive Director of the Consumer Advisory Council in the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Working closely with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Judge Ruben was at the forefront of developing the first national program to aid in treating and training people with developmental disabilities and the foundation of the Special Olympics. Becoming the only female member of the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court judge in 1981, Judge Ruben served the Court for 18 years, the last of which was as an Administrative Judge. She began the only Juvenile Court internship program for law students to serve as law clerks within her court to learn first-hand the problems and solutions for juveniles and their families.
One of the first initiatives with the creation of the Judge Betty Willis Ruben Center for Global
Studies at Mount de Sales Academy is to build on the Academy’s existing partnership with its
downtown neighbor, Mercer University. Mount de Sales Academy will collaborate with Mercer On
Mission and Mercer’s Department of International and Global Studies to offer Upper School students
the opportunity to help create long-term solutions for global problems and change the lives of
underserved citizens in other countries.
“We are deeply grateful to our esteemed alumna, Judge Betty Willis Ruben, for this transformative
gift,” said Brendan O’Kane, president of Mount de Sales Academy. “Through its programs,
resources, and our partnership with Mercer University, the global studies center will offer students
unparalleled opportunities in global learning, leadership, and service. These initiatives will further
prepare Mount de Sales Academy graduates to make a meaningful impact in their communities
while advancing our mission to foster a community of learners.”
Concept rendering for the “Judge Betty Willis Ruben Center for Global Studies at Mount de
Sales Academy”.
Dr. Loleta Sartin, President Brendan O’Kane, and President Bill Underwood made the announcement to the press on January 15, 2025
Read the full press release here.
About Mount de Sales Academy
Mount de Sales Academy, an independent Catholic school established in 1876 and sponsored and inspired by the Sisters of Mercy, is a Christ-centered college preparatory community of learners who are poised to discover, challenged to innovate, and motivated to serve. www.mountdesales.net