Born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1927 to parents Ernie and Claire Scruggs, Suzanne Aker was a highly influential leader and key figure for the Department of Dance at Texas Tech University. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tulsa and was certified in ballet through the Royal Academy of Dance, England. In 1969, Aker brought a new type of art to West Texas by founding Ballet Lubbock, a non-profit dance school and pre-professional company. She taught ballet professionally for over 50 years and inspired numerous students with her passion for dance. Aker also practiced yoga, was a painter and icon artist, and was the author of a children’s book titled “What Comes In Ones, Twos, and Threes.” Regarded as “One of the Most Notable Women in Texas,” she was a recipient of The National Dance Plaudit Award and an inductee into the Buddy Holly Hall of Fame. Aker passed away on February 19, 2022 at the age of 95.
Suzanne Aker was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame in 2002.
