He was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he prepared for Princeton at Adelphi Academy, serving in student government and editing the school yearbook. At Princeton, Ramsey was active in the Westminster Foundation and the Student Christian Association, and served as office manager for WPRB. He ate at Campus Club and majored in religion.
Following graduation, Ramsey earned a master of arts in teaching degree at Harvard and a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. He spent his early career teaching English literature at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis), where he authored the widely used English-composition text The Little, Brown Handbook, published in 1980. Becoming dean of Memphis State’s University College, Ramsey championed lifelong-learning education, developing degree programs relevant and accessible to working adults. He retired from the University of Memphis in 1999 and took the position of dean of New College at St. Edward’s University in Austin, introducing a master of liberal studies program and establishing, with Ballet Austin, a degree program in dance and the humanities. He retired in 2018.
Ramsey is survived by his wife, Sandra; and a daughter from a previous marriage, Jessica Dheere ’93. We have sent condolences.