Murdoch, Ruth Mae (Rittenhouse) (1906–1996)

Ruth Mae Rittenhouse Murdoch was a well-respected educator, child psychologist, and lecturer who taught at all levels of education.

Early Life and Education

Ruth Mae Rittenhouse was born September 16, 1906, in Bozeman, Montana, to Wilton Dana Rittenhouse (1872-1961) and Huldah Emma La Fave (1853-1954). Growing up on a Montana farm gave Ruth Rittenhouse an opportunity to study the things of nature and contemplate God’s love for His creations. She later instilled this love in her children and students. In the 1910¹ and 1920² census, the Rittenhouse family was living on their farm in Gallatin County, Montana, but by 1930³, they had moved to Berrien County, Michigan, where her father worked delivering mail on the campus of Emmanuel Missionary College.

Ruth Rittenhouse’s higher education started at Walla Walla College in Washington state, where she studied foreign languages and education. After completing the two-year normal course, she taught in a Seventh-day Adventist elementary school in Montana, where some of her students were older than she was.⁴ Then she continued her education at Emmanuel Missionary College, earning BA degree in 1928. She later received a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California.⁵ Her education continued in 1960 at American University, where she was awarded an EdD in psychology. Her dissertation studied the daily schedules of elementary schools.⁶ Later, she did a one-year post-doctoral study in Washington, D.C., at the Clinical Child Center. Her specialty was human growth, development, and education.

Marriage and Career

Rittenhouse’s teaching career took her far and wide. Beginning with Adelphian Academy in Holly, Michigan, in 1924, she moved next to Collegedale, Tennessee where she taught at Southern Junior College in 1930-1931. After just one year in Tennessee, she moved again to Riverside, California, where she was a faculty member of the normal department of Southern California Junior College from 1931 to 1937.

Ruth Rittenhouse married William Murdoch on September 19, 1937, in Riverside, California.⁷ She accompanied her husband to England in 1938 where he was principal of Newbold College and then, in 1946, to Australia where he was also president of Australasian Missionary College. Ruth Murdoch spent these years raising her growing family.

By the time they moved to Australia, the Murdochs had three children: John Lamont became a physician who retired from Loma Linda University Medical School in California; Floyd Malvern became an educator who served the Seventh-day Adventist church on several levels as both a teacher and administrator; and Marilyn Jane, became a nurse educator, serving Loma Linda University as dean of the School of Nursing and vice president. A fourth child, William, Jr. joined the family in Australia. He became chair of the psychology department at Loma Linda University Medical School.⁸

The Murdochs worked in Australia for six years. In 1953, they returned to the United States where William Murdoch became chair of the systematic theology department at the Seventh-day Adventist Seminary near Washington, DC. During these years, Ruth Murdoch pursued a doctoral degree at American University and taught at Washington Missionary College (now Washington Adventist University). When the seminary moved to Berrien Springs, Michigan, the Murdoch family moved with it. There Ruth Murdoch became member of the faculty of the School of Education.

According to Mary Ross, an elementary teacher acquainted with her, Murdoch strongly believed behavior could be changed. She was reported to have said, “If you want to change a behavior, you have to find the cause.” She applied this in her associations with family, neighbors, and students. She conducted workshops in various churches and colleges on family relationships and raising children. She was a foremost expert in character development. She shared stories of her experiences that helped others in their lives.⁹

Murdoch held teachers to a high standard. “The teacher must respect himself and his position if he is to have the respect and confidence of the community.” She also said, “Teachers must by their own lives provide an ideal toward which young people can strive.¹⁰

In 1968, Murdoch was named Alumnus of the Year at Andrews University for her contributions to child psychology and education. She was a member of many professional organizations including the National Education Association, the American Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Association of Teacher Education and Professional Standards, the National Society for the Study of Education, and the Michigan Counselor Educators.¹¹ Murdoch was highly recognized for her skills as clinician and lecturer on education and family life. She was written up in the 1971 edition of the Outstanding Educators of America.¹² She was also listed in Who’s Who of American Women in 1971.¹³

After retiring in the early 1980s, the Murdochs spent the winter months in California away from the Michigan cold. Ruth Murdoch continued to lecture and authored Growing Kids: Leader’s Guide for the General Conference in 1988.¹⁴ She passed away on August 29,1996,¹⁵ in Loma Linda, California.

Legacy

Lovingly known as “Dr. Ruth” by her many students and audiences, Murdoch was respected and loved for her wise counsel and compassion for children. People found the Murdoch home a place of love and enjoyed their time with them.

In her seminars around the country and overseas, Murdoch emphasized the home, using the Old Testament to teach parenting principles and the development of character in children. She believed that children’s behavior was indicative of the home environment. She also stressed that parents should make Sabbath meaningful to children so they would enjoy the holy hours with God. Love should always be in the home.¹⁶

In 1974, the elementary school at Andrews University was renamed Ruth Murdoch Elementary School, in honor of Ruth Murdoch, who impacted the lives of students and teachers for many years.¹⁷

Sources

“Adventist Educator Dies.” ARH, October 3, 1996.

“Alumna of Year Named at Andrews.” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), May 1, 1968.

“Alumni, Students Receive Honors at Andrews U.” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), April 26, 1971.

“Andrews Seminary Dean Takes Leave.” The News-Palladium (Benton Habor, Michigan), January 6, 1965.

“Area Women in Who’s Who.” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), October 12, 1965.

“Avondale Homecoming Week-end.” Australasian Record, October 12, 1981.

“Child Development Class at YWCA.” The News-Palladium, (Benton Harbor, Michigan) January 15, 1973.

“DAR Luncheon, ‘Tensions’ Is Topic of Guest Speaker.” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), June 7, 1961.

“Dateline: Des Moines, Iowa.” Northern Union Outlook, September 30, 1974.

“Degrees Given 23 at Andrews.” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), December 19, 1974.

“Dr. Ruth R. Murdoch, Former Professor.” The San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino California), August 31, 1996.

Patrick, Arthur. “Murdoch Lecture.” Avondale Reflections, Summer 2004.

Gilmore, Laurence. “Avondale Homecoming Week-end.” Australasian Record, October 12, 1981.

Hilliard, Norma. “Marriage Seminar at Boulder Has Outstanding Speakers.” Central Union Reaper, September 10, 1974.

Hull, Carole. “Ruth Murdoch Gives First Full Life Seminar.” Pacific Union Recorder, April 14, 1975.

“Murdoch Visitor Here, Interview is Given.” Clocktower (Union College), October 22, 1937.

Murdoch, Ruth R. “Instruction, Discipline, Example.” Lake Union Herald, January 3, 1978.

Murdoch, Ruth, and Karen M. Flowers. Growing Kids: Leader's Guide. Washington, DC: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Dept. of Church Ministries, 1988.

Ness, Vera. “Elkhorn Workers Retreat Includes Teachers!” Northern Union Herald, September 4, 1978.

“Over 300 Alumni Register.” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), May 8, 1968.

Rittenhouse, Ruth Mae. “A Critical Analysis of Daily Schedules in Progressive Elementary Schools.” MS thesis, University of Southern California, 2014. 

Rittenhouse-Murdoch, Ruth Mae. “An Analysis and Comparison of Daily Schedules in Today's Modern Elementary Schools with Those of the Progressive Schools of the Mid-Thirties.” PhD diss., American University, 1960.

Ross, Mary. “Memories of Ruth Murdoch.” Adventist Digital Library. Accessed October 12, 2019. http://www.Adventistdigitallibrary.org.

“Ruth Murdoch obituary.” ARH, November 28, 1996.

“Ruth Rittenhouse Murdoch obituary.” Columns (Southern Adventist University), Spring/Summer 1997.

“Six Andrews Professors Nationally Recognized.” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), August 12, 1971.

Stellmakes, Mary, “Avondale Home-Coming.” Australasian Record, December 21, 1981.

“Teachers Told To ‘Stand Tall.’” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), November 20, 1968.

“Those Who Walked These Halls,” College Criterion (La Sierra University), September 30, 1937, 4.

White, Edward E. “William G. C. Murdoch obituary.” Messenger (British Union), April 20, 1984.

Notes

1. 1910 United States census, Montana, Gallatin County, enumeration district 148, roll T624_832, FHL microfilm 1374845, page 1A, digital image, “Rittenhouse, Wilton D.,” Ancestry.com, accessed October 12, 2019, https://www.ancestry.com.↩

2. 1920 United States census, Montana, Gallatin County, enumeration district 69, roll T625_970, page 3B, digital image, “Rittenhouse, Wilton D.,” Ancestry.com, accessed October 12, 2019, https://www.ancestry.com.↩

3. 1930 United States census, Michigan, Berrien County, enumeration district 44, roll T626, FHL microfilm 2340712, page 4A, digital image, “Rittenhouse, Wilton D.,” Ancestry.com, accessed October 12, 2019, https://www.ancestry.com.↩

4. Floyd Murdoch, telephone interview with Dennis Pettibone, August 20, 2019.↩

5. Ruth Mae Rittenhouse, “A Critical Analysis of Daily Schedules in Progressive Elementary Schools” (MS thesis, University of Southern California, 2014). ↩

6. Ruth Mae Rittenhouse-Murdoch, “An Analysis and Comparison of Daily Schedules in Today's Modern Elementary Schools with Those of the Progressive Schools of the Mid-Thirties” (PhD diss., American University, 1960.↩

7. “William G. C. Murdoch obituary,” Messenger, April 20, 1984, 13, 16.↩

8. Dr. Floyd Murdoch, interviews with Dennis Pettibone, August 20, 21, 2019.↩

9. Mary Stellmaker, “Avondale Homecoming Week-end,” Australasian Record, October 12, 1981, 5.↩

10. Mary Ross, “Memories of Ruth Murdoch,” Adventist Digital Library, accessed October 12, 2019, http://www.adventistdigitallibrary.org.↩

11. Ibid.↩

12. “Six Andrews Professors Nationally Recognized,” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), August 12, 1971, 12.↩

13. “Alumni, Students receive Honors at Andrews U.,” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), April 26, 1971, 17; “Area Women in Who’s Who,” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), October 12, 1965, 8.↩

14. Ruth Murdoch and Karen M. Flowers, Growing Kids: Leader's Guide (Washington, DC: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Dept. of Church Ministries, 1988).↩

15. “Ruth Rittenhouse Murdoch obituary,” Columns, Spring/Summer 1997, 27.↩

16. “Teachers Told to Stand Tall,” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), November 20, 1968, 40.↩

17. Mary Ross, “Memories of Ruth Murdoch,” Adventist Digital Library, accessed October 12, 2019, http://www.adventistdigitallibrary.org.↩