Dr. Essie Manuel Rutledge, distinguished educator and scholar, tireless activist, and beloved family member and friend transitioned peacefully from this life Sunday June 1, 2025 leaving behind a remarkable legacy of education, advocacy, and service.
Dr. Essie Pearl Manuel Rutledge was born in Midway, Alabama on October 1, 1934. She moved to St. Petersburg, Florida later in childhood and graduated from Gibbs High School. She returned to Gibbs as a teacher after receiving her undergraduate degree at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in 1958. She went on to attain her Masters Degree at the University of Wisconsin in 1965. While pursuing her doctorate, she married Albert Chester Rutledge and gave birth to her only son Jeffrey Albert Rutledge. With a toddler at foot, earned her Ph.D. in 1974 in Sociology from the prestigious University of Michigan.
Following completion of her doctorate, Dr. Rutledge became the first African American female chair in the history of Western Illinois University as head of the African American Studies Department. She served as a respected professor and mentor for over 30 years and had an unwavering dedication to the empowerment of her students, colleagues and the broader community.
A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Dr. Rutledge exemplified the sorority’s commitment to scholarship, sisterhood, and service. Over the years, she has been deeply involved in countless other esteemed organizations including the NAACP, Alliance for Racial Harmony, Lions Club and Association of Black Sociologists. She was a faithful member of Mt. Calvary Church of God in Christ. Her life's work extended far beyond the classroom as a civil rights pioneer, an unyielding activist, and a fervent advocate for equality and justice inspiring countless others to continue the fight for a more just society.
*Obituary | Dr. Essie Manuel Rutledge of Macomb, Illinois | Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home
Bio/Obit https://obits.al.com/us/obituaries/wgem/name/essie-rutledge-obituary?id=58563858 https://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?release_id=20747
1974 Dissertation https://www.proquest.com/docview/302748024?fromopenview=true&pq-origsite=gscholar&sourcetype=Dissertations%20&%20Theses
Essays https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C14&q=%22essie+rutledge%22&btnG=
Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix4tZQohAk4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQkq1j1dGDc
Town Hall Speak Out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsgyk59ySqM
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