Ruth Severud Fish Scholarship

The Ruth Severud Fish Scholarship is for students who have declared an interest in pursuing an Art Education major. Students must have declared an interest in pursuing an Art Education major in WSU’s Art Education program.

Criteria

1. Each recipient must be an undergraduate student enrolled full-time (minimum 15 credit hours) at Winona State University.
2. Each recipient must have declared an interest in pursuing an Art Education Major in Winona State University’s Art Education program.

Biography/Motivation

Ruth (Severud) Fish graduated from Winona State in 1933 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art and a minor in Music. Following her graduation she continued taking classes while teaching Adult education night classes in Art Appreciation. This was followed by art teaching positions in Lake city, Red Wing, Iowa State College-Ames, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Illinois Institute of Technology-Chicago where she took art classes at the Institute’s School of Architecture. Ruth Especially values her contacts here with mies van der Rohe and Ludwig K. Hilberseimer both of German Bauhaus school who were her mentors. She also took courses at the university of Chicago and was chairperson of the Art Department of the Illinois Home Economics Association at the same time. Mrs. Fish had the opportunity to travel to Europe in 1938 and in 1940 began graduate study at the University of Colorado-Boulder. She also had the opportunity to study at Harvard University and the University of Oregon-Eugene during the summer months through Carnegie Award Scholarships she received sponsored by the American Institute of Architects. In 1951 she received her Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a honorary Fellowship. She returned to Winona in 1952 and was married on December 31, to Wendell Fish, President and General Manager of Federal Bakery.

Mrs. Fish graduated from Winona High School and while at WSU was active as general Chairperson for the Junior Prom (Prom Polaire), was Art Editor of the Wenonah Art Club President, Intermediate Club Honor Teacher, Senior Class vice President and member of numerous clubs. She published in the School Arts magazine and Interior Decoration and has been a member of the American Association of University Women and Women’s Art Class where she served as its president.

She has served as a volunteer for numerous Winona community/service organizations and is a lifetime member of the Central Lutheran Church.

As a WSU Cornerstone Society member, Mrs. Fish has established the Ruth Severud Fish scholarship for Winona State students majoring in Art Education.