Dr. Felicenne Ramey, Trailblazing Sac State Administrator, Dies At 84

OBSERVER Staff ReportDr. Felicenne RameyDr. Felicenne Ramey existed in spaces that weren’t accustomed to Black faces, but became a familiar presence in the upper echelons of university leadership, quietly kicking down doors and holding them open so others could follow.A trailblazing education administrator, Dr. Ramey passed away Aug. 2 at the Santa Barbara home of her adult daughter. She was 84 years old.Born in Philadelphia on ​​June 5, 1940, to Bertha and George Houston, Dr. Ramey was the youngest of five children and the only daughter. Her father, a World War I veteran, affectionately called her “Little Sweets.” Sadly, George Houston died when Dr. Ramey was just 8.Growing up in the Richard Allen Homes, a government-subsidized housing community in North Philadelphia, Dr. Ramey developed resilience and an appreciation for the strength of her community. Despite financial hardships, she excelled in academics, skipping grades and graduating at the top of her class at 16 from the Scotland School for Veterans’ Children, a boarding school in Chambersburg, Pa.In 1957, she attended Pennsylvania State University, where she studied microbiology and graduated with a bachelor’s in 1961. It was during her time at Penn State that she met her future husband, Melvin “Mel” Ramey,...