Natural State Notables: Twenty-One Famous People from Arkansas

Ruth Beall

14 Timeline RUTH BEALL (1896–1974) Not many people recognize the name of Ruth Beall. The result of her work, though, is world famous. Beall saved Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock from closing during the Great Depression . For almost thirty years, she was superintendent of the hospital. With Beall in charge, the hospital grew and was able to help more children than ever before. Beall was born in Missouri and grew up there, but her family moved to Rogers, Arkansas, when she was a college student. During World War I, she worked with the American Red Cross in Rogers. After the war was over, Beall worked for an organization that was trying to help people overcome a dangerous sickness called tuberculosis . Beall also visited schools, handing out free toothbrushes and toothpaste to poor children and teaching them how to brush their teeth. In 1934, she brought a boy from Rogers to the hospital in Little Rock because he was sick with tuberculosis. She complained to the director of the hospital that the building was rundown . She also pointed out that not enough people were working there to take care of the children.The director asked her if she would take the job as superintendent of the hospital. If she did, she could try to fix the problems that she saw. Beall agreed to take the job. Her first task was to find enough money to keep Born: 1896 Became superintendent of Arkansas Children’s Hospital: February 1, 1934   Ruth Beall; 1961. Courtesy of Arkansas Children’s Hospital 15 the hospital open. In one month, she was able to raise thirty thousand dollars. She used all of that money to help the hospital. For the next twenty-seven years, Beall continued to help children by keeping the hospital open and by improving it in every way she could. Beall ate a simple diet of cheese sandwiches to save money so more could be spent helping sick children . She treated each patient at the hospital as if he or she was her own child. Sometimes this meant fighting with doctors and other adults to make sure that the children were treated well. Once she made a doctor miss giving a speech to other doctors, telling him, “Anybody can make that speech. Only you can save this child.” Rather than sitting in her office, she was often found walking up and down the halls of the hospital, making sure that things were being done in the right way. One magazine writer called her “The Terrible-Tempered Angel ofArkansas.”When she retired in 1961, the hospital directors gave her a retirement salary that included money for the payments on her home. They also bought her a new car. “It was a very challenging job and I loved it,” Beall said, “but the only thing I will miss is my patients.” “How are we going to continue to serve our children in the future as we have in the past?” Retired: 1961 Died: April 18, 1974   Rogers Little Rock Ruth Beall with children and an elephant friend; 1954. Courtesy of Arkansas Children’s Hospital ...