Kane County Reporter

Ruth Van Sickle Ford was born on August 8, 1897, in Aurora, Illinois, to Charles P. Van Sickle and Anna Miller. The Van Sickle family owned The Rookery restaurant in Aurora. Ruth attended West Aurora High School and graduated in 1915. She then enrolled at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, where she studied under Carl Newland Werntz. After graduating in 1918, Ruth married Albert Ford and gave birth to their daughter, Barbara.

Ruth's career as an artist began with commercial work. Her paintings gained recognition, and she exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago and other venues across the United States, the Caribbean, and South America. She won numerous awards, and her works are now in many public and private collections, including the Smithsonian Institution.

In 1937, Ruth purchased the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, where she taught and served as its director. She lived in Aurora and commuted to Chicago. In 1949, she and her husband built the Round House in Aurora, designed by architect Bruce Goff. Ruth continued to contribute to the art community until her death on April 18, 1989. Her legacy endures in Aurora and beyond.