CELESTE RUWWE (Jan 1945)

Celeste Ruwwe is a retired St. Louis Policewoman. She was a distinguished and ground-breaking officer who was the first female to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

Celeste was the comander of the first sex crimes unit in St. Louis. She initiated new methods of questioning rape victims and the procedures to be followed in their treatment in local hospitals.

She was featured in True Detective Magazine in connection with her investigation of the murder of a three-year boy.

In 1960 she was one of nine policewomen to serve on a nationwide task force examining the role of women in policing.

She has both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Police Administration and has attended the FBI academy for additional training in dealing with sex crimes.

Celeste is a lifelong animal lover and has been a volunteer at the St. Louis Zoo for over thirty-five years. The Gift Shop at the Endangered Wolf Center is named in her honor and the Zoo has recognized her for more than twelve-thousand hours of volunteer service.