Caroline Ruutz-Rees

Caroline Ruutz-Rees (August 16, 1865 – February 15, 1954) was a British–American academic, educator, and suffragist. Ruutz-Rees was very involved in the women's suffrage movement in Connecticut. She served as the first head teacher of Rosemary Hall. She was also a member of the executive board of the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association (CWSA).

Caroline-Ruutz-Rees in 1890.

Biography

Ruutz-Rees was born in London on August 16, 1865.^[1][2] She attended private schools in London.^[3] Ruutz-Rees came to the United States around 1882 or 1883, eventually becoming a naturalized citizen.^[4][5][3] The next year, she started teaching at the St. John the Baptist School in New York and later, at the St. Mary's School in Burlington, New Jersey.^[1] In the years of 1898 and 1899, she studied advanced Greek courses at Yale's graduate school.^[3]

In 1890, she started working as headmistress of Rosemary Hall, in Wallingford.^[1] The curriculum of Rosemary Hall was strong in the humanities, with Ruutz-Rees working "to empower young women to pursue a wide variety of intellectual studies."^[6] The school, under her direction, was one of the first American girls' schools to require Uniforms.^[7] Ruutz-Rees' method of teaching and administrating the school was based on English girls' schools.^[8] In 1900, the school was moved to Greenwich.^[9] She went to Scotland to study at St. Andrew's University, earning her degree in 1904.^[3] She studied French literature in Grenoble and in Paris.^[3] Ruutz-Rees earned her master's degree in 1909 and her doctorate in 1910 from Columbia University.^[10][3] She wrote articles about French Literature for the Modern Language Association and wrote for Modern Language Notes, Romantic Review and the Yale Review.^[3] In 1910, she published a book about Charles de Sainte-Marthe, Charles de Sainte-Marthe: A Study in French Renaissance.^[3]

Ruutz-Rees was very involved in the women's suffrage movement in Connecticut.^[5] She was part of the executive board of the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association (CWSA), served as vice president of the American Woman Suffrage Association, and was a founding member of the Greenwich Equal Franchise League.^[5] Ruutz-Rees also founded the National Junior Suffrage Corps around 1914.^[5][11] Ruutz-Rees participated in a large women's suffrage parade in Hartford in 1919.^[12] The suffragists presented a 27,000 signature petition in support of the women's vote to the Connecticut state legislature.^[12] During World War I, Ruutz-Rees served as the chair of the Woman's Committee of Connecticut's Council of Defense.^[13] She held the chair for more than a year, and resigned due to her other commitments.^[14] She was also a supporter of the Woman's Land Army.^[15] At Rosemary Hall, Ruutz-Rees had students plant and care for community war gardens.^[15]

Ruutz-Rees continued to participate in civic life after women won the vote. In 1920, she was appointed to the executive committee of the Democratic National Committee.^[16] In 1922, she was considered a possible Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.^[17]

Ruutz-Rees turned over the full-time administration of the school to Eugenia Baker Jessup in 1938 and continued to work with the school after her retirement.^[8][9][18] During her life, she adopted two children.^[2] Ruutz-Rees died in her home in Greenwich on February 15, 1954.^[1]