Ruth Hinshaw Spray (February 16, 1848 – February 26, 1929) was an American peace activist. Spray was prominent as a teacher in the public schools and work for the protection of children and animals. She was also active in the work of child labor organizations and in the international peace cause,

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far ...

(WCTU), Retail Clerks' Association, and other associations for public welfare.

Early life and education

Ruth Hinshaw was born in

Mooresville, Indiana Mooresville is a town in Brown Township, Morgan County, Indiana, Brown Township, Morgan County, Indiana, Morgan County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The town is notable for being where the current flag of Indiana was created. As of the 2020 Unite ...

, February 16, 1848. Her parents were Benjamin and Nancy (Carter) Hinshaw. She was educated in the public schools at

Indianola, Iowa Indianola is city in and county seat of Warren County, Iowa, United States, located south of downtown Des Moines. The population was 15,833 at the time of the 2020 census. Indianola is home to the National Balloon Classic, a nine-day hot ai ...

, and as student there in

Simpson College Simpson College is a Private college, private United Methodist Church, Methodist college in Indianola, Iowa. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and enrolled 1,151 students in ...

. She graduated from

Earlham College Earlham College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quake ...

Richmond, Indiana Richmond () is a city in eastern Wayne County, Indiana, United States. Bordering the state of Ohio, it is the county seat of Wayne County. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 35,720. It is the principal c ...

(B.S., 1874).

Career

Spray served as a preceptress and teacher at the Raisin Valley Seminary,

Adrian, Michigan Adrian is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Lenawee County, Michigan, Lenawee County. The population was 20,645 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Adrian lies in Michigan's 5th congressional district. The c ...

, from 1874 to 1877. She then taught history and English in Penn College,

Oskaloosa, Iowa Oskaloosa is a List of cities in Iowa, city in, and the county seat of, Mahaska County, Iowa. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Oskaloosa was a national center of bituminous coal mining. The population was 11,558 in the 2020 U ...

, from 1877 until 1880. She was an Officer of Colorado State Bureau of Child and Animal Protection. She was actively engaged in the work for international peace. She was a member of the Universal Peace Union, and she served as vice-president of the

American Peace Society The American Peace Society was a pacifist group founded upon the initiative of William Ladd, in New York City, May 8, 1828. It was formed by the merging of many state and local societies, from New York, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, ...

for 16 years. She was also State superintendent of Peace and Arbitration for the

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

WCTU, and district president of the 12th Colorado District WCTU. Spray was a delegate to the International Peace Congress, held in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 1904. She worked continuously for international peace, getting hundreds of petitions before the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

and other petitions sent to U.S. delegates to each of the two Hague Conferences and by wide distribution of peace literature. Since 1902, Spray worked to get the teachers of Colorado to take up the subject of international peace, and many schools of Colorado were thus induced to teach the subject and to observe May 18 as International Peace Day. After Spray became a resident of

Salida, Colorado Salida ( ; Spanish language: , "exit") is the statutory city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,666 at the 2020 census. History The Arkansas, Colorado, ...

, she served as president of the Tuesday Evening Club. During those years, the club built the Salida Public Library, with Spray leading that movement. She was a member of the Colorado Woman Suffrage Association, the

Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

, and the Board of Trustees of the Salida Public Library. Since 1900, she was an officer of the Colorado State Bureau of Child and Animal Protection, working with marked results in the interest of neglected and abused children.

Personal life

In Indianola, Iowa, on December 28, 1880, she married Samuel J. Spray, of

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. They had one daughter, Mrs. Mary E. Spray Moon,

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. In politics, she was Independent. Ruth Hinshaw Spray died February 26, 1929, and was buried in Salida, Colorado. Her papers are held by Earlham College.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spray, Ruth Hinshaw 1848 births 1929 deaths American anti-war activists Woman's Christian Temperance Union people People from Mooresville, Indiana Simpson College alumni Earlham College alumni William Penn University faculty People from Salida, Colorado