Halls, Ruth Norman, 1898-1990

Ruth Norman Halls graduated from Indiana University in 1919 with a degree in Latin. After her death in 1990, she left many of her books to IU's Lilly Library and the largest legacy up to that time ever received by the university's Foundation - $11 million. The fund was directed to support the arts and humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences.

From the description of Ruth Norman Halls scrapbooks and journals, 1943-1983. (Indiana University). WorldCat record id: 318327615

Ruth Norman Halls, a native Hoosier, was born in 1898 in Bartlettsville, a small town in Lawrence County near Bedford. She graduated from Indiana University in 1919 with a degree in Latin. For two years after her graduation, she taught high school Latin. In 1921 she left teaching to work with textbook publisher Scott Foreman in Chicago. In 1945, she married Chicago attorney Jay C. Halls.

After the death of her husband, Halls established an IU scholarship for students from Bedford. She additionally gave the university funding to create the Young Artist Award shared by students in the School of Fine Arts and the Department of Theater and Drama. Her passion for the arts and humanities led her to donate $11 million to IU’s Foundation. The fund was directed to support the arts and humanities in the college of Arts and Science. She died in 1990 at the age of 92.

From the guide to the Ruth Norman Halls Scrapbooks and journals, 1943-1983, (Indiana University Office of University Archives and Records Management http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives)