Born: 8 August 1850, United Kingdom
Died: 6 November 1938
Country most active: United Kingdom
Also known as: Ruth Waterlow
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Ruth Homan was an educator and advocate for women’s welfare, served on the London School Board for several years, and actively participated in Liberal politics, promoting progressive social policies. Her legacy endures through preserved scrapbooks at The Women’s Library in London.
Ruth Homan co-founded the West London Ethical Society in 1892 with Stanton Coit, Leslie Stephen, and Corrie Grant, a precursor to the Union of Ethical Societies and later Humanists UK.
Later in Cornwall, Homan led the Tintagel Nursing Association and the local Women’s Institute while establishing a significant village social hall, leaving an enduring community legacy.