1. Ruth Bielaski Shipley was an American government employee who served as the head of the Passport Division of the United States Department of State for 27 years, from 1928 to 1955.
17 Facts About Ruth Shipley
1. 2.
Ruth Shipley attended high school in Washington, DC, and took the civil service examination after graduating.
3.
Ruth Shipley joined the State Department on August 25,1914.
4.
Ruth Shipley became head of the Passport Division in 1928, the first woman to hold the position, after twice declining the appointment.
5.
Ruth Shipley succeeded foreign service officer Parker Wilson Buhrman and initially headed a staff of more than 70.
6.
Ruth Shipley noted that the passports of married men never carried "husband of" as further identification.
7.
Ruth Shipley reviewed every application personally and the number of passports issued fell from 75,000 monthly in 1930 to 2,000.
8.
Ruth Shipley oversaw the issuance of new passports to all citizens abroad and the incorporation of new anti-counterfeiting measures into their design.
9.
Ruth Shipley decides whether the applicant is entitled to a passport and whether he would be a hazard to Uncle Sam's security or create prejudice against the United States by unbecoming conduct.
10.
Ruth Shipley retired on April 30,1955, when she reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.
11.
Ruth Shipley said that she chose her successor, Frances G Knight, herself.
12.
Ruth Shipley's authority was widely acknowledged and rarely challenged with success.
13.
Ruth Shipley's supporters included Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Senator Pat McCarran.
14.
Ruth Shipley married Frederick W van Dorn Shipley in 1909.
15.
Ruth Shipley left government service for several years while the couple lived in the Panama Canal Zone, where he worked in government administration until his poor health forced their return to the United States.
16.
Ruth Shipley is buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC.
17.
Ruth Shipley's grandfather Alexander Bielaski died fighting for the Union at the Battle of Belmont and her uncle Oscar Bielaski was a professional baseball player.