Johnson, Ruth Ashton, 1933-

Coach, teacher, and advocate for women's and girls' athletics, Ruth Ashton Johnson majored in physical education at the University of Iowa. In 1956 she became director of the Davenport (Iowa) Park Board swimming program and taught physical education part-time at St. Katherine's from 1957 to 1967, when she became a full-time coach and instructor at West High School in Davenport. As chair of the Iowa Division for Girls' and Women's Sports, Johnson was sent in 1971 to.

the national DGWS Conference where she was instrumental in formulating resolutions for women's athletic competition that resulted in the 1972 Title IX legislation. In 1971-1972 the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was organized in part to implement the federal legislation. During her career at West High School, Johnson coached girls' field hockey, swimming, and gymnastics and was a leader in girls' competitive athletics in the area.

Johnson retired in 1990 and remains active in teaching swimming, organizing senior swim meets, and leading Girl Scout trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northeastern Minnesota.