A native of Ft. Worth, Texas, Ruth and her family relocated to the “North Area” of Charleston County, today known as North Charleston, in 1941.
She attended North Charleston High, Winthrop College and then enrolled in the University of South Carolina Law School. At 26, she became the first woman lawyer to be admitted to the Charleston County Bar. Ruth served in the SC House of Representatives and as the Associate Judge of Probate. In all, her legal career spanned six decades.
On the civic side, Mrs. Cupp was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SC Children’s Bureau and President of the Florence Crittenton Programs of SC.
In addition to authoring three books, for years, Ruth wrote a weekly column for the Post and Courier that focused on the history of North Charleston. The collection of 68 articles was bound into the North Area Scrap Book and still serves as a definitive source for local lore.
In the forward Ruth wrote, “While I was not born here, my heart and soul were.”
Ruth Cupp’s writings can be found in the City of North Charleston’s Archive Room.