Education
Born in Spencer, North Carolina, Ruth graduated from Central High School in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1934. He completed his graduate-level education with a Doctor of Philosophy from the school in 1955.
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Born in Spencer, North Carolina, Ruth graduated from Central High School in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1934. He completed his graduate-level education with a Doctor of Philosophy from the school in 1955.
He earned an Bachelor of Arts at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1938 and a Master of Arts from the same institution in 1942. While at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Ruth was a basketball standout, serving as captain of the Tar Heel team in both his Junior and Senior years (1936-1937 and 1937-1938). He subsequently served in the United States Navy.
Ruth was head basketball coach and director of athletics at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina from 1946 to 1960.
From 1960 to 1968 he served as the Dean of Students there. Ruth was elected as a Republican to the Ninety-first and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1975).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election to the Ninety-fourth Congress in 1974. He was then appointed by President of the United States Gerald R. Ford to be Governor of American Samoa from 1975 to 1976.
He died on August 15, 1989, in Salisbury and was interred in Salisbury National Cemetery.
He was member of Salisbury City Council from 1963 to 1968, serving as mayor pro tempore from 1967 to 1968.