OKGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any
format for profit or presentation by any other organization or
persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must
obtain the written consent of OKGenWeb State Coordinator.

Presentation here does not extend any permissions to the public. This
material can not be included in any compilation, publication,
collection, or other reproduction for profit without permission. Files
may be printed or copied for personal use only.
=====================================================================

CHARLES H. RUTH
Vol. 3, p. 1324, 1325

The ordinary individual whose years are prolonged beyond middle age
sees a future ahead wherein ease and a competency may await him, and,
patiently or other wise, performs his duties until the appointed time
and then sinks more or less into oblivion. There are extraordinary
men, however, who have already achieved distinction and won merited
rewards before this middle age is reached, and when retirement comes
in one direction just as efficiently prove their vitality in other
fields, and, in fact, never find lack of interests to inspire or
duties to church, family or community to gladly perform. With
commendable achievements in the line of contracting and building to
his credit, Charles H. Ruth, one of Oklahoma City's most valued
citizens, has been equally successful in the field of law. Mr. Ruth,
attorney and influential politician, has succeeded Mr. Ruth,
contractor and builder, and as he is still practically a young man he
should go far in his calling.

Mr. Ruth was born in Newcastle County, Delaware, in 1866, and is a
son of Allen and Sarah C. (WILSON) Ruth. He comes of excellent stock,
the Ruths being Holland Dutch Quakers who moved from William Penn's
Pennsylvania colony to Delaware, while Mrs. Ruth is of Scotch stock,
descended from one of the Wilsons of Pennsylvania, one of her great
uncles being James Wilson, a signer of the Declaration of
Independence. Allen Ruth was a native of Delaware, where he was
engaged during practically all of his life in the business of
contracting and building. For sixteen years he was a member and
president of the school board of Wilmington, and was also a
commissioner of the water department of that city, and as such
constructed the Cool Spring Reservoir and installed the first modern
water system at Wilmington. He died in 1882, while Mrs. Ruth, also a
native of Delaware, still survives and makes her home at Wilmington.

Charles H. Ruth received his education in the public schools of
Wilmington, but his desire to join the world's workers caused him to
give up his studies when within two months of being twelve years of
age and start to learn the trade of bricklayer. After he had mastered
this vocation he traveled to various points in the United States as a
journeyman, and finally located in New York, where he engaged in a
contracting and building business on his own account. In this he
continued for a number of years, although the greater part of his
work was done at Washington, D. C., and Wilmington, Delaware. While
he was eminently successful in this line of work, Mr. Ruth had for
some time determined to pursue a professional career, and in 1893
entered Georgetown University, Washington, D. C., where he completed
his law course and received his degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1895.
At once admitted to the bar, he engaged in practice at Washington, D.
C., and Newport News, Virginia until 908, which year marked his
advent in Oklahoma City. Here he has continued in active practice,
gradually rising to a place of distinction in the legal fraternity.
He now maintains offices at No. 208 Security Building. Mr. Ruth is a
member of the Oklahoma County Bar Association and the Oklahoma State
Bar Association, and among his fellow-members in the Profession is
accounted a worthy opponent and a valuable associate. He is a Blue
Lodge and Royal Arch Mason and holds membership in the Knights of
Pythias, and has numerous friends in fraternal, professional and
public life. In 1909 Mr. Ruth, who has taken an interest in politics
ever since his arrival, was elected a councilman of Oklahoma City, to
fill an unexpired term of about eighteen months.

On July 3, 1899, Mr. Ruth was married to Miss Flora A. ROBERTSON,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Randolph Robertson, of the old
Robertson and RANDOLPH families of Virginia.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Lee Ann Collins, October 17, 1998.