Ruth A. Lucas
1920–2013 (age 93)
U.S. Air Force major general
Biography
Ruth A. Lucas broke through barriers to become the first African-American woman to attain the rank of major general in the U.S. Air Force, rising from the Nurse Corps to lead medical organizations across the service. She guided policy, education, and disease prevention programs while lifting up nurses and officers from varied backgrounds.
Her mentorship of medical professionals and insistence on excellence helped build a medical community that mirrored the Air Force's diverse talent. She is interred at Arlington National Cemetery, where fellow Airmen remember her as a trailblazer and healer.