Ruth Miriam, b. Jan. 29, 1894, she is a college graduate and was athletic editor her senior year, is a member of the largest athletic clubs in America, has recently been elected as teacher of physical culture and English in two splendid High schools.
Ruth began life in a beautiful little villa by the banks of the Blue River at Blue Springs, Neb. and her arrival was heralded by the gift of a home, and half a car-load of supplies of all kinds of provisions that came over the Burlington Railroad–a bountiful and most generous consideration from her father’s people throughout the state with whom he built three churches and for whom he was superintendent, editor and pastor-at-large.
Owing to pastor Todd’s responding to so many calls, Ruth’s schooling was advanced by the abilities of many teachers. Her High School studies, however, were taken in Gadsden, Alabama and Omaha, Nebraska, and her A. B. degree work was done at Southern Presbyterian College in North Carolina, and with Richmond’s Woman’s College, Richmond, Virginia; receiving therefor a five-year teacher’s certificate from the state Board of Education. This certificate was renewed in 1920 for a six year period and she received in that same year a High School Life License with the State Board of Indiana. Ruth studied music all her school-life, having both private and public tutors, and has become proficient in piano, pipe-organ and band work. She also holds Iowa and Oregon State Teachers certificates, has had common and High School work in the four states and in the last named she was one of the most efficient and popular teachers residing at Portland, and was chosen to a High School position paying $150 per month. She has always been an amiable and fun loving girl, fond of athletics, horse-back riding, autoing and the classics in drill and military movement, and with her native and acquired abilities in modern educational activities she has become an allround and accomplished school woman.
Ruth has personally drilled and successfully presented “monie a troup o’ lassies to gie the ‘Highland Flinge’ before classical and critical audiences in the South, Middle-west and on the West coast, and all the way across it struck a popular chord everywhere. The “auld Scotch foke” say she even excells them in the “land o’ the heather”. Her lassies always make a hit and give their audiences more than anticipated pleasure. She has also presented many other forms of school and evening entertainment–and even now, Christmas time 1920, she is at work with 140 young people planning for the opening night for a new Gym and Atheneum soon to be dedicated in the city where she lives and is on the school Faculty. Her abilities on these lines are always in demand. She thoroughly appreciates the high moral value of physical culture and supervised athletics, and school patrons trust her fully. She has had some of the best audiences in America.
Ruth has state authorized Diplomas from the departments of Home Economics, Domestic Science and Physical Culture in The Virginia School of Pedagogy and has taught these branches with gratifying success. She has been Assistant Principal and Principal; and standardized one of her western schools. And as a High School or College teacher of English and History, she is unexcelled.
Socially she owns a wide circle of loyal friends. in fifteen of the states, is a member of the Multnomah Club–which has the largest athletic membership of any in America and seems to live to serve and to be a joy to those about her. She was on the editorial staff at both her colleges, is active in church work and has often been a resourceful assistant in her father’s active parish plans. She is beloved by all her students, and yet is one of the most careful of disciplinarians–this latter is not infrequently said to be a prominent Todd characteristic. Ruth’s loftiest asset is: “that it pays to be courteous.”