Dr. Elizabeth “Betty” Rawlins ’67MSEd, ’03HD (1927–2024) was a beloved mentor and impactful leader to generations of Simmons students. To celebrate Black History Month (February), we are spotlighting the Elizabeth B. Rawlins Papers housed within the Simmons University Archives.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Elizabeth “Betty” Rawlins ’67MSEd, ’03HD (1927–2024) worked with and mentored Simmons students as a faculty member in the Department of Education and as associate dean. She was a beloved member of the community, who had a formative impact on generations of Simmons students. Alumnae/i fondly recall her passion, advocacy, and efforts to create spaces for Black students on campus.
As a faculty member of (then) Simmons College, Rawlins’ research and teaching focused on human services, minorities, and education. She also performed committee and community work beyond Simmons. Rawlins was the recipient of numerous awards, among them the Education Award from the Boston Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1986.
In the words of television journalist Rehema Ellis ’74, ’00HD, who eulogized Rawlins on a digital tribute board: “I will always remember and treasure Betty Rawlins. She was more than just a dean to me when I entered Simmons in 1970. Dean Rawlins was also a mentor and role model who helped me, and so many others, navigate thorny, racially sensitive issues that marked our country and our campus at the time. So many valuable lessons were learned at Simmons in and outside of the classroom because Dean Rawlins was there.”
Archives Recount a Remarkable Career
Researchers and the Simmons community can learn more about Rawlins’ extraordinary life and career through the Simmons University Archives, which houses the Elizabeth B. Rawlins Papers (Manuscript Collection, MS 136). Donated to Simmons by Rawlins herself, these archives document her academic and professional life from her earliest days as a lecturer until her retirement. The Papers, which comprise 28 manuscript boxes, cover the period from 1967 to 1992.
The Elizabeth B. Rawlins Papers testify to Rawlins’ dedication to the University, her investment in students, and her numerous accomplishments. The collection comprises teaching and biographical materials, correspondence (including letters and postcards from students), committee work and conferences, course materials, and student papers.
“Archival collections like the Elizabeth B. Rawlins Papers allow us to understand the full scope of a faculty member’s impact,” says University Archivist Kelsey Kolbet ’21MA/MS. “They document not just institutional milestones, but the day-to-day work of teaching, mentoring, and contributing to a rich community life. We are proud to preserve these materials and make them available so researchers and the Simmons community can continue to learn from her legacy. Any individual — whether from Simmons or not — is welcome to access this incredible collection.”
Dissertation Explores Black Alumnae of White Colleges
Researchers can also find a copy of Rawlins’ doctoral dissertation. (She received a PhD from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1991). The dissertation, titled, “Black Alumnae of Predominantly White Colleges: Their Effect Upon the Development of Entitlement in Black Students,” is an important work that highlights the work of Black alumnae/i.
As Rawlins’ wrote, “The dissertation will seek to demonstrate the benefits to the college to be derived from the participation of Black alumnae of a predominantly white college or university … Simmons College can serve as a model of a way to involve these alumnae.”
Rawlins dedicated her dissertation to her “‘Simmons Sisters’ / Past and Present / Known and Unknown / Whose struggles to succeed / And whose achievements / Have inspired me.” The appendix to the dissertation includes copies of handwritten notes from Black alumnae/i to Rawlins.
Finally, the collection contains some unprocessed addenda, including materials pertaining to Black Alumnae/i Weekend, the African American Alumnae/i Association Reunions, and the Black Student Organization.
For Kolbet, “the Elizabeth B. Rawlins Papers document not only her career, but also the communities she helped build and the students she inspired. By preserving and providing access to this collection, the Archives ensures that her contributions and the broader history of Black students, faculty, and alumnae/i at Simmons remain visible, accessible, and part of our ongoing institutional story.”