Ruth Elizabeth Bacon (1908–1985) was an American foreign service officer, an East Asian specialist. She was one of the first six annual recipients of the Federal Woman's Award, in 1961. In 1968, she retired as director of the Office of Regional Affairs in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, at the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

Early life and education

Bacon was the daughter of George Preston Bacon and Hannah Churchill Bacon. Her mother trained as a nurse; her father was a physics and engineering professor at

Tufts College Tufts University is a Private university, private research university in Medford, Massachusetts, Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, Massachusetts, Grafton, as well as Talloire ...

. Her sister Dorothy Carolin Bacon was an economics professor on the faculty at

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 ...

. Ruth E. Bacon earned a bachelor's degree and a Ph.D. at

Radcliffe College Radcliffe College was a Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that was founded in 1879. In 1999, it was fully incorporated into Harvard Colle ...

. She was a Carnegie Fellow in international law at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

from 1928 to 1929.

Career

Ruth E. Bacon taught history and political science at

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

and

Central Missouri State University The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is a public university in Warrensburg, Missouri, United States. In 2024, enrollment was 13,734 students from 48 states and 52 countries on its 1,561-acre campus. UCM offers 150 programs of study, inclu ...

after completing her doctoral studies. She worked at

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, as assistant to Judge

Manley Ottmer Hudson Manley Ottmer Hudson (May 19, 1886 – April 13, 1960) was an American lawyer specializing in public international law. He was a judge at the Permanent Court of International Justice, a member of the International Law Commission, and a mediat ...

while he served on the

Permanent Court of International Justice The Permanent Court of International Justice, often called the World Court, existed from 1922 to 1946. It was an international court attached to the League of Nations. Created in 1920 (although the idea of an international court was several cent ...

. She joined the U. S. State Department in 1939, in the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs; she was described as "the first female officer in a geographical bureau". She was an active member of the

American Society of International Law American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

, including a stint on the executive council of the society, from 1951 to 1952. In 1948 Bacon was a member of the American delegation at the South Pacific Commission in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

; she also served on the American delegation to the United Nations Trusteeship Council in 1949. She was Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in

Wellington, New Zealand Wellington is Capital of New Zealand, the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the List of cities in New Zealand, third-largest city ...

for four years, and served at times as acting ambassador. In 1960, she was Foreign Service Officer Class 1, the second-highest ranking woman in the Foreign Service. In 1968, as director of the Office of Regional Affairs in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, she was the only woman in the American delegation led by

Dean Rusk David Dean Rusk (February 9, 1909December 20, 1994) was the United States secretary of state from 1961 to 1969 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, the second-longest serving secretary of state after Cordell Hull from the ...

at the

SEATO The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The formal insti ...

meeting, in Wellington. She said the biggest thing she lacked as a diplomat was "a wife. I had to carry a double load... write the thank-you notes, send flowers, plan guest lists and all the other things usually handled by the hostess." In 1961, Bacon became one of the first six recipients of the

Federal Woman's Award The Federal Woman's Award, also known as the Federal Women's Award, was given by the United States Civil Service Commission from 1961 until 1976. The Federal Woman's Award was established by Barbara Bates Gunderson in 1960, while she was serving on ...

, "in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the formulation of United States foreign policy in the field of Far Eastern affairs." Her sister accepted the award in her place. She retired from the federal government in 1968. In 1974 she served on the

United Nations Commission on the Status of Women The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW or UNCSW) is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the principal organs of the United Nations. CSW has been described as the UN organ promoting gen ...

, attended the World Conference on Women in 1975 in Mexico City, and was director of the US Center for

International Women's Year International Women's Year (IWY) was the name given to 1975 by the United Nations. Since that year March 8 has been celebrated as International Women's Day, and the United Nations Decade for Women, from 1976 to 1985, was also established. History ...

from 1973 to 1976. She went on lecture tour in Africa in 1974, sponsored by the State Department, and visited South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia. In 1977 she was a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, lecturing at colleges from Vermont and Virginia to Hawaii.

Publications

Publications by Bacon included "Representation in the International Commission of the Danube" (1937, ''The American Journal of International Law''), ''International Legislation'' (1937, co-edited with Manley O. Hudson), and ''World Court Reports: A Collection of the Judgments, Orders and Opinions of the Permanent Court of International Justice. Volume III, 1932–1935'' (1938, co-edited with Manley O. Hudson).Hudson, Manley O., and Ruth E. Bacon, eds., ''World Court Reports: A Collection of the Judgments, Orders and Opinions of the Permanent Court of International Justice. Volume III, 1932–1935'' (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1938).

Personal life

Ruth E. Bacon died in 1985, aged 77 years. Her grave is in Shawsheen Cemetery in

Bedford, Massachusetts Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Bedford was 14,161 at th2022 United States census History ''The following compilation comes from Ellen Abrams (1999) based on information from Abram Engl ...

, with those of many other Bacons, for several generations.

References

External links

"Memorandum by Miss Ruth E. Bacon of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs to the Chief of the Division of Chinese Affairs (Sprouse)"
(April 12, 1949), in the Office of the Historian, Department of State.
Recognizing Women in Federal Service, 1961
The Text Message, March 18, 2025. Written by Mr. David Langbart. Focus on Ruth E. Bacon. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bacon, Ruth E. 1908 births 1985 deaths Radcliffe College alumni Wellesley College faculty Diplomats for the United States American expatriates in the Netherlands American expatriates in New Zealand Burials at Shawsheen Cemetery