By Don Rutledge
FPS Associate Editor
August 12, 2008
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| Carroll County’s Ruby Gilliam and Democrat Presidential candidate Barrack Obama take a moment for photos at the Ohio Democrat Party’s state convention held in May in Columbus. |
A well known and longtime Carroll County Democrat is headed for her 7th National Democrat convention at the age of 85.
Ruby Gilliam, who has served as chairman of the Carroll County Democrat party in Carroll County since 1987, will serve as a delegate-at-large at the 2008 National Democrat convention to be held Aug. 24-29 in Denver, CO. She will be accompanied by Mrs. Glenda Carter, who has honorary member status.
The delegate-at-large appointment was made at the Ohio Democratic party state convention held last May in Columbus when Mrs. Gilliam was elected secretary of the state Democratic party. Since the delegate-at-large appointment is for Hillary Clinton, Ruby says she intends to cast her ballot for Clinton on the first roll call which is generally open to the candidates of the delegates’ choice.
However, she says she fully intends to join other delegates in the expected nomination of Barrack Obama at the weeklong convention.
“This will be my 7th national Democrat convention that I have attended since becoming county party chairman,” Ruby recalled. They have included:
1984 in San Francisco, CA.
1988 in Atlanta, GA.
1992 in Chicago, IL.
1996 in New York City, NY.
2000 in Los Angeles, CA.
2004 in Boston, MA
2008 in Denver, CO.
“I love the adventure, atmosphere, elegance and unity of the party and states at the conventions,” Ruby commented.
Since becoming involved in Democrat politics while growing up in the mountains of Kentucky, Ruby says she has always been a supporter of Women’s Suffrage and has voted since 1943. “I’ve been involved in politics all my life,” she added.
In fact, she was the keynote speaker at a National Democrat Women’s convention held in Oklahoma City during the dedication of the Memorial there in 2000.
Mrs. Gilliam is a past president of the Ohio Democratic Women and served on the Ohio Democrat Party’s Executive Committee for several years. She also has served as treasurer of the Ohio Democratic Chairs Association since 1994.
Mrs. Gilliam was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 1988-1992 and was a member of the Electoral College Board in 1992 when former President Bill Clinton was elected President.
In 2001, Ruby was honored as “Woman of the Year” by the Federated Democratic Women of Ohio who presented her with a silver tray.
A World War II veteran, Mrs. Gilliam served with the Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services (WAVES) and worked in Washington, D. C. in 1945 and 1946 with the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
“We were probably the first to use computers in that job,” she remarked.
Mrs. Gilliam continues to remain active as a veteran, assisting with funerals and other activities of the Minerva American Legion Post 357 of which she is a member. |
