Ruth Miriam DeYoung Kohler (August 24, 1906 – March 7, 1953) was an American

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

advocate.

Life

Kohler was born in 1906 in

Harvey, Illinois Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,324 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Harvey is bordered by the villages of Dixmoor, Illinois, Dixmoor and Riverdale, Illinois, Riverdale to the north; ...

to Mrs. and Mr.

Frederic R. DeYoung Frederic R. DeYoung (September 12, 1875 – November 16, 1934) was an American jurist and politician who served as a judge on the Supreme Court of Illinois (1924–1934), judge on the Superior Court of Cook County (1923–1924), judge on the ori ...

. Her father was an Illinois Supreme Court Justice. She received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

, where she studied history. She earned special honors and was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

. Afterward, she traveled around Europe for a year. She married Herbert Vollrath Kohler Sr. in 1937. She had three children: Herbert Kohler Jr., born in 1939; Ruth DeYoung Kohler II, born in 1941; and Frederick Cornell Kohler, born in 1943. In 1953, at the age of 46, DeYoung Kohler died of a heart ailment at her home in

Kohler, Wisconsin Kohler is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River. The population was 2,195 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Sheboygan metropolitan statistical ...

Career and honors

Kohler became a journalist in 1929, working for the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

''. She went on to become the Women's Editor for the paper in 1935. From 1935 to 1937, she organized the Chicago Tribune's Women's Congress. The forum had over 5,000 attendees, and discussed women's issues and rights. She retired from her position as the Women's Editor in 1937, when she married. She remained involved in civic organizations throughout her life, particularly within

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. She led a radio program through WGN, and wrote a column about women's issues in 1940 for the ''Chicago Tribune''. In 1948, she was the chairman of the Wisconsin Women's Committee. She served during Wisconsin's centennial celebration, where she published a book entitled ''The Story of Wisconsin Women''. *Review of ''The Story of Wisconsin Women'' This book chronicled the lives and histories of over 1,500 women from Wisconsin. In 1949, she received the Theodora Youmans Award, given to her by the Wisconsin Federation of Women's Clubs for her civic contributions. She was also an active member of the Wisconsin Federation of Women's Clubs, and served on its board of directors. She also helped to build the Kohler Woman's Club to over 1,000 members. She was chair of the Kohler Women's Club, and also commissioner of the Kohler Girl Scout Council. She was one of the founding members of the Women's Auxiliary of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin which is now called The Friends of the WHS. She also helped to restore the Wade House, a historic site in

Greenbush, Wisconsin Greenbush is an Administrative divisions of Wisconsin#Town, unincorporated town in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,773 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, S ...

. Kohler devoted over three years of her life to the restoration of the house, which was completed in 1953, but she died before she could see the project completed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kohler, Ruth DeYoung 1906 births 1953 deaths People from Harvey, Illinois Kohler family (Wisconsin) Chicago Tribune people Journalists from Illinois Journalists from Wisconsin American women's rights activists 20th-century American journalists History of women in Wisconsin Smith College alumni