Internship: Work Product

Korrin B.

July 25, 2010 - 10:14 PM

Last week, one of the projects I was working on for my internship involved doing some research on a set of twins who recently passed away and left a gift to The Carter Center to help provide scholarships to female interns experiencing financial hardships. My assignment was to write a biography on the two women that could be given to recipients of the scholarship as a way to preserve their legacy.

I had a lot of fun researching and writing this piece because I have a very warm spot in my heart for donors whose scholarship funds provide these types of life-changing experiences for students. I know first hand how wonderful it is to receive financial assistance and I'd like to take this opportunity to once again thank all of the departments and individuals at the University of Oregon that made my internship this summer possible through their generous contributions.

I thought it would be nice to have a blog post that shows some of the work that I've been doing, so I am pasting the piece that I wrote on the recent Carter Center donors below. It is one of the things so far this summer that I am the most proud of and I even received a phone call during work on Thursday from the Vice President of Operations, thanking me for writing such a great piece. It had originally been his request to have it done, so upon completion, was forwarded on to him. The biography follows:

The Ruth and Ruby Crawford Scholarship Fund

Recognized by their extravagant matching outfits, bright red lipstick, and warm friendly smiles, Ruth and Ruby Crawford were known for their tireless contributions toward the advancement of women and the betterment of the Atlanta community. The Crawford twins were born in Temple, Georgia in 1919, but called Atlanta their home for over 65 years.

They decided to become lawyers during a time when it was uncommon for women to do so, both graduating from the Atlanta School of Law after receiving their masters' in accounting from Georgia State University. The Crawfords made strides for women's equality with Ruby being the first woman to serve on the Board of Directors for the Georgia State Chamber of Commerce and the two of them becoming the first women inducted into the Atlanta Convention and Visitor's Bureau Hospitality Hall of Fame. The Crawford twins were "Trail Blazers" for women in law and banking in Georgia and in her last years, Ruby spoke out for legislation promoting equal pay for women in the workplace.

Professionally, Ruth and Ruby held the titles of banker, attorney, accountant, and realtor. They worked more than 33 years at First National Bank of Atlanta, several more years with Northside Realty, and taught law courses at the American Institute of Banking and Emory University.

In the community, the Crawford twins earned dozens of civic awards for their work to help the homeless, the elderly, and the hungry. They were generous supporters of the Buckhead Christian Ministry, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, High Museum of Art, Buckhead Club, Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Humane Society, and the Democratic Party. Ruth and Ruby were comfortable working in soup kitchens, as well as shaking hands with many prominent government leaders.

Ruth and Ruby Crawford were long time friends of President and Mrs. Carter. They were original members of the Peanut Brigade, helping to elect President Carter to the White House. President Carter once called Ruth and Ruby two of the most "effective and enthusiastic" members of his brigade. The Crawford twins later served as Docents at the Jimmy Carter Library and volunteered time with The Carter Center.

Ruth and Ruby Crawford passed away in 2005 and 2009 at the ages of 86 and 90, respectively, after living lives of great service to the city of Atlanta. Upon passing, the Crawford twins provided an endowment gift to The Carter Center to help fund internships for deserving female students. Their legacy of kindness and belief in equality will be preserved through their generous gift.