Ruth Hodge is an award-winning archivist, educator, and community activist who has furthered the advancement of African American and United States military history research and writing during the 20th and early 21st century.
Carlisle historian Ruth Hodge, representing the African-American community of Carlisle, was actively involved in the discussion about renaming Carlisle High School's West Building. She had several individuals in mind who qualified for the honor, but when requested to pick just one name, she had no difficulty in narrowing the selection to the late Emma Thompson McGowan, a teacher in the Carlisle school system for almost thirty years.