Ruth Kraemer served the dual appointment as director of the College and Seminary Library serving both North Central College and Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, Illinois, from 1954 to 1965. During her tenure her name was the only woman’s name to appear on the list of Faculty for the seminary.
She was born in Comstock, Nebraska in 1905. She received an A.B. degree from Doane College (now University) in Crete, Nebraska, in 1927. She earned a B.S. degree from the University of Denver School of Librarianship in 1939, and a Master’s of Library Science degree from the University of Illinois Library School.
Ruth returned to Doane College to be the library director in 1941 and left that post in 1954 for the directorship at ETS. During her time at Doane she served as an officer in the Nebraska Library Association. In 1948 she contributed an article to The Library Quarterly with the title “Certification of Librarians: Implications Drawn from the Field of Teaching.”
During her years at ETS she oversaw the move into a new library building, managed the remodeling of space to house the gift of a collection of Lincoln manuscripts (see story) and deftly handled the academic and scholarly needs of both seminarians and undergraduates at the two EUB-affiliated schools.
In 1977, the 50th anniversary of her graduation from the college, Ruth Kraemer received the Doane Builder Award, an award presented to alumni “who have distinguished themselves and Doane through outstanding achievement, professional accomplishments, community service and their relationship with the college.”
She died in Crete, Nebraska, on April 30, 1998 at the age of 92.
