April 29, 2005

GIRLS INC. DIRECTOR RUTH THOMAS RECEIVES
2005 MAURA AWARD FROM SMU APRIL 28

Ruth Thomas (center) with SMU President R. Gerald Turner and 2005 Maura Awards chair Tegwin Dyer Pulley (click image for high-resolution version).

DALLAS (SMU) -- Ruth Thomas, who has served the girls and young women of Dallas since her days as a teenage volunteer, was honored with a 2005 Maura Award, presented by Southern Methodist University April 28 at the Pavilion at the Belo Mansion in Dallas.

Thomas, executive director of Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas, has been with the not-for-profit girls' organization since she herself was a teenager. Arriving as a young wife and mother, "Miss Ruthie" began her career volunteering with the organization while she finished high school. As executive director, Thomas focuses on education and the prevention of teenage pregnancy. The results speak for themselves: Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas boasts a 0 percent pregnancy rate and a 100 percent high school graduation rate.

Established in 1978 by the Women's Center of Dallas, the annual Maura Awards recognize "those who have made extraordinary contributions to the success and wellbeing of women and children in the Dallas community."

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Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas with more than 10,000 students and offering degree programs through seven schools. More information about SMU is available at www.smu.edu.