[6] After graduating from Englewood High School,[6] Carruthers entered the college of engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1961.

[8][11] His design detected an upper limit to the amount of molecular hydrogen that exists in the interstellar medium, answering numerous questions astronomers were asking at that time about what was then referred to as the "missing mass" problem.

It was suggested by NASA that the two form a joint proposal, and this was approved with Carruthers as principal investigator and chief engineer and Page as the science lead.

He also continued his work on the polar auroras with an instrument called the Global Imaging Monitor of the Ionosphere, which launched in 1999 on the ARGOS (satellite).

[14] On February 1, 2013, Carruthers was awarded the 2012 National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama at the White House: "For invention of the Far UV Electrographic Camera, which significantly improved our understanding of space and earth science.

"[15] During the 1980s, Carruthers helped create the Science & Engineers Apprentice Program, which allows high school students to spend a summer working with scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory.

[7] Carruthers also worked with the Naval Research Laboratory's community outreach organization, and as such helped support several educational activities in the sciences in the Washington D.C. area.

He frequently participated in public observing events at Howard University and SMART Day programs at the National Air and Space Museum.

This journal included biographical sketches and career profiles of prominent African American scientists and engineers, and was distributed to high schools and to colleges.

[17] After retiring from NRL, Carruthers taught a two-semester course in earth and space science at Howard University sponsored by a NASA Aerospace Workforce Development Grant.