Ruth Marie Cunningham (1913-2005) was educated at Sacred Heart schools and entered the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1934, following her sister Frances. She served in many houses of the New York Province and later became a professor of English at Manhattanville College. After 1975, she lived at Kenwood in Albany, New York, dedicating herself to researching and writing about the Society's history. Born in New York, Ruth was deeply rooted in Sacred Heart traditions shared by her mother, aunts, and sisters.