Ayres-Givens, Ruth

Ruth Ayres-Givens attended Radcliffe College, earning an A.B. (1925) and an A.M. (1927). She then attended the Robert Brookings Graduate School of Government and Economics, focusing her research on the interrelationship between government and economic forces. She earned a Ph.D. (1929) and, that same year, married Meredith B. Givens. Ayres-Givens became the first woman Code Advisor in the Consumer Division of the National Recovery Administration, worked for the Office of Price Administration, and became Professor of Clothing and Textiles in the College of Human Development at Penn State University.

Ruth W. Ayres-Givens was born in Waltham, Massachusetts, 28 December 1901. She earned an A.B. and M.A. from Radcliffe College and a Ph.D. from the Robert Brookings Graduate School. She began her career in September 1929 when she accepted a teaching position in economics at the Washington Square College of New York University. In 1934, Ayres-Givens was the consumer representative of the National Recovery Administration for the oil industry. This was the start of her distinguished government service. In 1936 she became the metropolitan director for New York City of the National Urban Study of Consumer Purchases for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ayres-Givens also served as the economist for the Mayor's Milk Committee for New York City. This committee, composed of representatives from the City of New York, regraded bottled milk for government programs. She was the chief of the Program Activities Branch of the Consumer Division for the Office of Price Administration. From 1943 to 1947, Ayres-Givens served as Chief of the Cost of Living and Allowance Determination Branch for the Office of the Foreign Service. In 1952, Ruth Ayres-Givens came to Penn State and was head of the Department of Clothing and Textiles from 1952 until 1967. She continued as Penn State professor and consultant until 1969. Ruth Ayres-Givens died on 15 December 1989.