Ruth Hale (feminist)

Ruth Hale
Born	July 5, 1886 Rogersville, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	September 18, 1934 (aged 47) New York City, U.S.
Spouse	Heywood Broun ​ ​ (m. 1917; div. 1933)​
Children	Heywood Hale Broun

Ruth Hale (July 5, 1886 – September 18, 1934) was an American journalist who worked for women's rights in New York City during the era before and after World War I. She was married to journalist Heywood Broun and was an associate of the Algonquin Round Table.

Hale was the founder of the Lucy Stone League. Its motto is "A wife should no more take her husband's name than he should hers. My name is my identity and must not be lost."^[1] Hale's beliefs led her to fight for women to be able to legally preserve their names after marriage. She challenged in the courts any government edict that would not recognize a married woman by the name she chose to use.