Ruth Wright Hayre (October 26, 1910 – January 30, 1998) was an American educator and administrator based chiefly in Philadelphia public schools in Pennsylvania.

At the school, Hayre co-created "WINGS", a program aimed at "encouraging students to discover their talents".

[3][2][8][9] In 1963 Hayre was promoted to a higher administrator position, to supervise a district of the city's public educational system.

While she led the district, Hayre worked to upgrade its facilities and advocated for "more inclusion of black history" in the curriculum.

Hayre helped the board respond to the AIDS epidemic, increasing sex education and instituting the distribution of condoms to prevent transmission of disease.

[3][2][8] In 1988,[2] Hayre created a program providing funding for the college education of 116 or 119 Black children.

[6][2] The program was named "Tell Them We Are Rising" after a line in "Howard at Atlanta", a John Greenleaf Whittier poem, that was based on Hayre's grandfather Wright's life.

The year after she announced the program, the University of Pennsylvania granted Hayre an honorary LLD.

[7] The Ruth Wright Hayre scholarship was also created in her memory, and provides financial support to college-bound students.