Ruth Jane Garver Gagliardo was born on September 6, 1895, in Hastings, Nebraska. In 1910 she moved with her family to Topeka, Kansas, and remained a resident of Kansas until her death on January 4, 1980. She graduated from Topeka High School in 1914, having served as Editor-in-Chief of her senior yearbook. After a year of normal (teacher) training in Topeka, she taught for several years in rural Kansas schools. In 1918, she entered the University of Kansas and was awarded the A.B. degree in English, with a journalism emphasis, in 1922. Upon graduation, Ruth went to work for the Emporia Gazette. Her duties consisted of being William Allen White's personal secretary for 2-3 hours per day, and reporting and writing for the newspaper. She wrote a regular feature, "The Highbrow Column," devoted largely to books and cultural events. Occasionally she would devote an entire column to reviewing children's books; this was the first newspaper in the United States to review children's books. Mrs. Gagliardo had been interested in children's literature and had collected children's books since she was a young girl. In 1924, Ruth moved to Lawrence to devote her time to freelance writing. She was married on Christmas day 1925 to Domenico Gagliardo, a member of the K.U. Economics Department, and they adopted three children during the depression years prior to World War II. During this period of time, Mrs. Gagliardo devoted her energy to her family and the local community. Beginning c. 1942, Mrs. Gagliardo launched a career which rapidly brought her to national attention as an authority on children's literature. Her career was grounded in two firsts: 1) She was the author of "A Children's Bookshelf," The Kansas Teacher (1942-1966)--the first magazine to feature a regular review article on children's literature; and 2) She was the creator of the Kansas Children's Traveling Book Exhibit which came to be known as the Kansas Plan (many other states using it as a model) and which is credited as being the beginning of book fairs in the United States. Both of these innovations were through the auspices of the Kansas State Teachers Association. Mrs. Gagliardo contributed articles to such magazines as McCall's, Parents Magazine, the National Education Association Journal, National Parent-Teacher, Christian Science Monitor, and more; she authored a volume entitled Let's Read Aloud, an anthology of children's literature (1962). Mrs. Gagliardo participated in such special projects as the founding of the William Allen White Book Award (the first book award which was given to winners chosen by the young readers themselves), the organizing of a reading and library program for the Boy's State Industrial School in Topeka, Kansas (1948), and serving as the Kansas representative to the White House Conference on Children and Youth in 1950 and in 1960. Mrs. Gagliardo's professional activities included such positions as Director of Library Services, Kansas State Teachers Association (19441966); National Chair, Reading and Library Service, P.T.A.; National Vice-President, P.T.A.; Chair, Joint Committee of the National Education Association and National P.T.A.; Chair, Joint Committee of the National Education Association and American Library Association; and fifteen years service to the Kansas P.T.A. in such positions as State Chair, VicePresident, and Member-at-Large.
From the guide to the Ruth Garver Gagliardo papers, 1914-1978, (University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library Kansas Collection)
