12 Facts About Ruth McGinnis

Ruth McGinnis was a Straight pool player from the United States, who is considered one of the greatest female pool players of all time.

Ruth McGinnis was a prodigious player at a young age, making a run of 47 at the age of about 10.

In 1924, Ruth McGinnis played exhibition matches against Ralph Greenleaf, and was described in The Tribune as Greneleaf's protege.

Ruth McGinnis was the captain of the varsity basketball team that won the Pennsylvania state championship in 1928.

Ruth McGinnis scored 36 points in one game, and 341 across the 15 games in the series.

In 1942, Ruth McGinnis became the first woman to compete in a men's tournament, the New York State Championship.

Ruth McGinnis served as a lifeguard, and is said to have saved a man from drowning.

Ruth McGinnis found it difficult to secure a teaching post after leaving Stroudsburg, and joined a programme called "Better Billiards," organised by the National Billiards Council of America, which sponsored Ruth McGinnis to visit pool halls and promote pool.

Ruth McGinnis travelled around 28,000 miles a year, and over 200,000 miles in less than ten years.

Ruth McGinnis was acclaimed the title of women's world champion due to her being the best female player at a time were there were no tournaments for women.

Ruth McGinnis played 1,532 exhibition matches through out her career and losing only 29 of them.

Ruth McGinnis was posthumously inducted into the WPBA Hall of Fame in 1976, and into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1997.