Ruth Muskrat Bronson
Ruth Muskrat Bronson was a significant figure in the advancement of Native American education and welfare. Beginning her career as a playground supervisor, she pursued higher education and earned an A.B. degree from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Bronson gained notable experience teaching at the Haskell Institute in Kansas in 1935 and worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs as the director of the bureau's scholarship program from 1931 to 1943. Following this, she served as the executive secretary of the National Congress of American Indians, advocating for Native American rights and education. From 1957 until her retirement in 1962, she worked as a health education specialist for the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona. Even after retiring, Bronson remained dedicated to education, aiding the Tohono O'odham and Yaqui communities in Arizona through the Save the Children Foundation. She passed away in a nursing home in Tucson, leaving behind a legacy of service and commitment to Native American communities.
Ruth Muskrat Bronson
Activist
- Born: 1897
- Birthplace: Whitewater, Indian Territory (now in Oklahoma)
- Died: June 12, 1982
- Place of death: Tucson, Arizona
Category: Educator
Tribal affiliation: Cherokee
Significance: Bronson educated Native American youth in their culture and heritage
Beginning her career as a playground supervisor, Ruth Bronson went on to obtain an A.B. degree from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. She taught at the Haskell Institute in Kansas in 1935. She also worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, starting in 1931 as director of the bureau’s scholarship program, a position she held until 1943, after which she was executive secretary of the National Congress of American Indians. From 1957 until she retired in 1962, she was health education specialist for the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona. After retirement, she continued her work as an educator, serving the Tohono O’odham and Yaqui in Arizona as a representative of the Save the Children Foundation. She died in a nursing home in Tucson.