Trailblazers: lady bird flys high: Ruthe Jackson has devoted her entire life to parks and recreation as a citizen, volunteer and community activist

Parks & Recreation, Nov, 2005

Name: Ruthe Jackson

Title: Mayor Pro-Tem, Grand Prairie, Texas

Member since: 1980s (Grand Prairie)

Ruthe Jackson has cherished the park system in Grand Prairie since she was a young mother, when she would take her two daughters to the park. It wasn't until she became a member of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) in 1958 that her streak of activism was ignited and has never faltered to this day. Jackson went from planting 50 oak trees as a PTA project in the '50s to becoming the first female Mayor Pro-Tem for the city--a position she has held six times and has just recently been re-elected to a seventh, one-year term. Jackson's long-standing dedication to the parks system in Grand Prairie has garnered her the "Lady Bird Johnson" Award in 1977, of which she was the first woman in Texas to receive. At 85, Jackson continues to be involved in parks and is currently developing part of a 260-plus mile trail across Texas.

Most proud moment:

When the city named its latest community center after her. "That's a tremendous salute while you're living; I just hope I don't commit a felony or they will erase my name from the list," she teases. Jackson was notified of the $8 million facility's intended name eight years ago, when she was battling cancer for the second time. She was at a city meeting after just finishing two rounds of radiation that day when the mayor gave her the news. Jackson jokes about that fateful night, recalling what she said to the mayor when the center opened its doors three years ago, "Y'all just thought I was going to die and you just named that after me in spite of the fact."

Most embarrassing moment: It was 1974, and Jackson was asked to give a presentation in front of a national audience to convince a committee that Grand Prairie should become the next All-America City, a prestigious community recognition designation. Jackson was nervous because she had never spoken in front of such a large audience. She decided to lie down behind the stage's backdrop to gather her thoughts. When someone found her with her head on her briefcase lying on the floor, she says "... it was so embarrassing to tell them I was lying down to get the blood to my head because I knew I was going to have to make a speech and I'm not a speech maker." Even with the incident, Jackson did compose herself and went out on stage and won that designation for Grand Prairie--the only time the city had ever received the title.

Words of wisdom: "Healthy living brings unexpected joys," she says. "As an older person, I realize that being healthy ... is one of the most critical things for you to enjoy life; you can't think about anything else if you're ill."

Favorite quote: "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (1772) Declaration of Independence.