Ruth Moselle Mays Apilado was the oldest Washington State resident, the oldest known living Chicagoan, and the Gerontology Research Group listed her as the 10th oldest United States “supercentenarian.” In addition, she was known to be the oldest living Civil Rights advocate before she passed away on August 15, 2021.
Ruth Apilado, mother of Dr. Myron Apilado, Vice President Emeritus of the University of Washington Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (1990 – 2001) passed away peacefully on August 15, 2021. She lived 113 years and 4 months. She was born in 1908 in Chicago, married Inosencio Apilado and had one child, Myron. Ruth started her professional career as a teacher in 1928, after graduating from Chicago Normal college (now The University of Chicago) with her teaching credentials. Ruth elected to teach in Chicago Public Schools at elementary level. However, in 1942, she founded a new publication, entitled “Negro Youth Photo Script”- (NYPS) and started a public library on the West Side of Chicago for residents who had limited access to the public library downtown. In 1950, Ruth published her first novel, “The Joneses” which described the numerous difficulties of a Chicago African American Family and won Honorable Mention at the Midwestern Writers Conference. In the 1960s, Apilado was very moved by and active in the Civil Rights Movement, including traveling, with her young son and only child, Myron to assist with integration efforts in Mississippi.
Inspired by his mother’s love of literature and observing her fervent support of Civil Rights while doorbelling with her in the deep south, Myron earned his doctorate degree in Counseling Psychology and began a professional career in teaching many of the concepts he had learned early on. He remembers his mother as a vivacious, tenacious advocate for human rights and followed her principles throughout his career.
In 1973, after retiring from 45 years of teaching, Ms. Apilado decided to work exclusively on anti-racism, racial discrimination and other Civil Rights issues. During that time she worked with Jesse Jacksons organization of “People United to Save Humanity” (PUSH where she wrote for them and promoted their principles. This led to her founding a quarterly magazine entitled “America’s Intercultural Magazine” (AIM). AIM was published from 1973 to 2007 and well known as a voice for Civil Rights and understanding between racism. She met racism “head on!“ AIM was often described as a publication to bridge the gap between races, cultures and religions and, in her words, to “Purge Racism from the Human Blood Stream.” Not only did AMI publish current issues but offered authors scholarships by sponsoring competitions for human interest stories that furthered the ideals of AIM. Among the noted authors for AIM was poet Henry Blakely (Husband of Pulitzer Prize Winner Poet Gwendolyn Brooks). Two additional publications started by Ms. Apilado were the “Negro Youth Photo Script” (NYPS) and “Freedom Press.”
Apilado’s son, was an editor and publisher for AIM magazine for a period of time while Ruth became Associate Editor. Ruth published her last issue of AIM at age 97. The closeness of Ruth and her husband, Inosencio, to their son, Dr. Myron Apilado, led them to move to Washington to live with he and his wife, Dyane, for a number of years, after AIM was retired. Many of Myron’s UW colleagues and students in his Educational Opportunity Programs became acquainted with his mother, Ruth, through Myron, and marveled at her positive influence at such an advanced age.
Ruth Apilado was interviewed, at age 103, by Chicago-Times contributor, David McGrath. McGrath described how she had mentored him in his early years of writing. She was also interviewed by HistoryMakers and it was shown on television recently. At 103, McGrath stated he was amazed at her memory and “her intellect was undiminished. But, when he called three months ago, she was age 113, her memory was slowly failing and she was in the Adult Care Home near her son, Myron.
Interesting to note is that her son, Dr. Myron Apilado, received the UW Alumni Associations Multicultural Alumni Partnerships’ (MAP) most prestigious award, the Dr. Samuel E. Kelly Award, which is awarded to an individual deemed to have accomplished a broad range of outstanding activities supporting diversity. During his tenure as VP of the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMA/D), for example, there was a marked improvement in the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority students, the endowment grew to 2.5 million dollars and numerous new outreach grants and programs were established. Importantly, students extoled his “open door” policy and accessibility to them to get their input in diversity programs and policies. Myron remains an Advisor to the Founders MAP Group of retired Board Members which continues to meet periodically as an informal group of 23 UW Alumni and he was a part of establishing one additional 2021 MAP scholarship.
As we salute Ruth Moselle Apilado for a life well lived, we also marvel at the influence she made in civil rights history and, yes, we still need to continue her work to “Purge Racism from the Human Blood Stream.”
