Longtime educator honored in street naming ceremony

Longtime Evanston educator Oliver Ruff’s legacy will live forever on Dobson Street, now also known as Oliver A. Ruff Way. 

Community members, elected officials, educators, family, clergy and more gathered on Dobson in South Evanston on Saturday, June 29, to honor Ruff, who has served as a public school teacher, assistant principal and principal for 36 years. Hundreds sat along the street and poured onto the sidewalks as speakers made their way to a podium to herald Ruff’s tremendous impact on the Evanston community.

Despite retiring in 2005, Ruff is still an active community member. He is the founder of the Oliver A. Ruff Education and Mentoring Scholarship (known as OAR) and is also a founding member of the Justin Wynn Fund and the Warren (“Billy”) Cherry Scholarship Fund. He still works as a community volunteer and civic leader.

But the outpouring of love and appreciation at the ceremony honoring him was almost too much for Ruff as he got emotional during his speech. He said he was humbled and thrilled by Saturday’s attendance.

“All of those of you who are present today have molded and shaped my life into the person that I am, and, for that, I am eternally grateful,” Ruff said. “This makes me feel like my life is not in vain.”

Council Member Krissie Harris was among the many to praise Ruff at Saturday’s event. She said it was a no-brainer for the City Council to approve the honorary street naming and the least the City of Evanston could do. 

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss concurred and said Ruff represents the “best of Evanston.” He relayed how Ruff comes to him to discuss city issues and he often moves Biss’ position on topics. He said Ruff makes him see things from a different point of view and fills him with empathy for a perspective he had not considered.

“Would you all look around and see the crowd here? From every walk of life from every corner of the city, from every aspect of civic life, from every age and every race and every neighborhood because we all love Oliver Ruff,” Biss said.

Robert Pressoir, OAR’s president, said Ruff provides invaluable contributions to students who otherwise would not be able to pursue higher education opportunities. He said Ruff’s leadership has transformed students’ dreams into reality.

“[The street] serves as a constant reminder of the power of education and the difference a person can make in the lives of many,” Pressoir said.

Ruff’s connection with students permeates throughout Evanston. Anthony Jackson, a former student of Ruff’s, completed his hourly moving job as fast as possible so he would not miss Saturday’s ceremony.

“It’s not about the money. It’s not about the hours,” Jackson said. “I got to make it to Mr. Ruff’s street naming. That’s how much it means to me.”

It also means a lot to Nathan Norman, vice president of OAR, who served as the master of ceremonies for Saturday’s street naming. He said the event was surreal and the attendance was a testament to the impact of a “remarkable individual.” Norman described Ruff as generous, kind, honest, selfless, thoughtful, tenacious, a wordsmith, intelligent and intellectual.

“If service was a person, it would be Mr. Ruff,” Norman said. “He has an unwavering devotion and commitment to serving other people.”

Throughout the event, Norman commended Ruff as a “true champion” and a “pillar in the Evanston community.” He even said Ruff is like a second father to him.

“May this street inspire future generations to emulate [Ruff’s] values and dedication,” Norman said. “Thank you, Mr. Ruff, for your immeasurable contributions, and for being a beacon of light that continues to guide us all.”

Like Norman, many community members who spoke Saturday consider Ruff family. Angel Turner, superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65, calls him “Uncle Oliver.” Steve Hagerty, the former mayor of Evanston, said he thinks of Ruff as a father figure. David Levine, an OAR board member, said Ruff has served as a mentor, brother, father and dear friend.

Ruff truly lives by his motto “High expectations; No exceptions; No excuses.” While he is proud of his accomplishments and appreciative of Saturday’s ceremony, he said his work is not done.

“For almost 80 years, I have witnessed progress, but there is much to be achieved,” Ruff said. “Working together and communicating harmoniously, not necessarily in agreement, we can work together to move forward for a better tomorrow.” 

Longtime educator honored in street naming ceremony is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.