Ruth Allen Ollison

Ruth Allen Ollison, an African-American journalist based in Houston, Texas, who became the first African-American female news director in a top 10 market for her work at KDAF and spent over 20 years in broadcast journalism in various positions.

Personal Ruth Allen Ollison was born in rural Texas where she worked as a waitress before her journalism career. Ollison has a husband named Quincy and a son named Jacob. She pursued graduate degrees in divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.A.) and ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary (PhD).

Career As a journalist, Ollison worked in various news departments in Texas and Washington, D.C. She worked as the assistant news director at WTTG-TV in Washington DC. Ollison also worked in various Texas news organizations in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. She started the NBC affiliate in Tyler, Texas. She also ran the KDAF and KXAS channels in Dallas.

In 1989 Ollison began an eight-month campaign for the presidency of the National Association of Black Journalists. Ollison ended up losing the 1989 election.

After her career in broadcasting, she converted a crack house in inner city Houston into the Beulah Land Community Church. Ollison also served as an adjunct professor at Houston Baptist University, Houston Graduate School of Theology, and B.H. Carroll Theological Institute. Ollison is the founder and spiritual leader of the Beulah Land Community Church. Ollison is also helped enhance various failing news departments in Texas and Washington D.C. Ollison work can be seen on Women Who Lead show from HCCTV.

Impact In 1985, Ollison became the first African-American woman to become a News Director in a top ten marker due to her work at KDAF in Dallas, Texas. Ollison's worked as a turn-around specialist, someone who works with failing news departments, and through her work she helped improve many news departments over her career. Ollison sought to improve conditions in inner-city Houston by starting a ministry.