Gibson, Ruth, 1924-

Montana and California schoolteacher.

Ruth Gibson was born 6 Dec. 1924, the fourth of five children of L.D. and Mina Ogilvie Gibson. The family lived on a ranch near Hysham, Mont. Both her parents had been schoolteachers before their marriage and Ruth followed in her parents' footsteps. An outstanding student, she won blue ribbons in reading, language, and spelling at competitions. In high school, she was elected president of her junior class and served again for her senior class. Ruth attended the Normal School in Billings, Mont. After only two years of schooling, she was hired to teach English and social studies and to coach girls' basketball at a small high school sixty miles from Billings. After a year, she decided to finish her education and apply for positions in California. After attending the University of California, Los Angeles and San Diego State, she received her degree in 1951. She was briefly married during 1945 and 1946. For several months Ruth continued to work and live in southern California. Finally, she was diagnosed as manic-depressive and briefly hospitalized. In 1954, she married Charles Compson, a friend with whom she had corresponded since World War II. In 1965, she set down her memories of her early years in a small book.

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