Ruth Hayward facts for kids

Ruth Hayward was born on July 29, 1934. She is an amazing person who has been an engineer, a sculptor, and someone who helps others by giving money and time to good causes. Ruth is also famous for making sculptures of important people in San Diego. She has lived in San Diego her whole life. In 1987, she received an award called the Tribute to Women & Industry (TWIN) from the YWCA. This award honored her work as an engineer at General Dynamics/Electronics and her volunteer efforts at Rachel's Women's Center, which helps people experiencing homelessness.

Ruth Hayward: A Trailblazing Engineer

Ruth Hayward became an engineer in the 1960s. This was a time when very few women worked in engineering. She worked for a company called General Dynamics for 38 years.

What Did Ruth Hayward Do as an Engineer?

At General Dynamics, Ruth worked on exciting projects. One project helped find radio signals to locate enemy positions. A very important part of her career involved finding explosives hidden underground. This work was super important and likely saved many lives!

Ruth Hayward: An Amazing Artist

After she retired from engineering, Ruth Hayward started studying sculpture. She learned from an artist named T.J. Dixon. Ruth became very good at sculpting human figures. Her engineering skills helped her make her art very accurate. She also loves photography and studying the human body, which helps her art.

Where Can You See Ruth Hayward's Sculptures?

You can find four of Ruth's life-sized bronze sculptures in Balboa Park in San Diego. These sculptures show important people from San Diego's history.

• In "Founders' Plaza" in the park, you can see sculptures of:
  • George Marston, who was known as San Diego's first citizen.
  • Ephraim Weed Morse.
  • Alonzo Horton, who is called the "Father of San Diego."

Ruth also made a sculpture of the "Mother of San Diego," a botanist and landscape architect named Kate Sessions. This sculpture stands in a different spot.

Other Public Art by Ruth Hayward

Ruth Hayward has created other public sculptures in San Diego:

• A bust (a sculpture of the head and shoulders) of Ellen Browning-Scripps at Scripps Green Hospital.
• A bust of Lily Tomlin at Rachel's Women's Center in downtown San Diego.
• A bronze bust of Walter Ames, the founding director of the Timken Gallery, in Balboa Park.
• A bust of Margaret Sellers at the U.S. Postal Service's Margaret L. Sellers Processing and Distribution Center.

Ruth has also made art for private collections. These include a bas-relief (a type of sculpture that is slightly raised from a flat surface) of Karen Keltner, a conductor for the San Diego Opera. She also made a life-size sculpture of a doctor named Barbara Levy from Seattle.

Ruth Hayward's Photography Work

Ruth Hayward also loves taking pictures of wildlife and nature. Her photos have been used by groups like the San Diego River Conservancy. She has traveled all over the world, to all seven continents, taking pictures wherever she goes!

Awards and Recognition for Ruth's Art

The La Jolla Historical Society honored Ruth Hayward on September 15, 2011. They recognized her work as an artist and thanked her for donating her bust of Ellen Browning Scripps.

The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild also celebrated Ruth's art. They chose her as one of 100 amazing San Diego artists for their Centennial Project. Her artwork was part of an exhibit called "100 Artists 100 Years" at the Oceanside Museum of Art. This exhibit ran from April 18 to July 26, 2015.

Ruth Hayward: Helping Her Community

Ruth Hayward is also a very generous person who supports many charities in San Diego.

Which Charities Does Ruth Hayward Support?

She helps organizations like:

• City Beautiful of San Diego
• The San Diego River Park Foundation
• The San Diego Opera

Ruth's Work with Rachel's Women's Center

Ruth has spent twenty years serving on the board of Rachael's Women's Center. This center is a shelter for women experiencing homelessness, and Ruth was one of its founding members.

Helping Wildlife in San Diego

Ruth Hayward was also the past president of Project Wildlife. This is a group in San Diego that helps injured mammals and birds get better so they can return to nature.