Ella Giles Ruddy (, Giles; February 2, 1851 – June 26, 1917) was an American author and editor. She published a large number of essays on social science topics. Ruddy was the author of Bachelor Ben, Out From the Shadows, Maiden Rachel, and Flowers of the Spirit (verse). She also wrote stories for Harper’s Bazaar, literary sketches for Chicago Times (on staff three years), The Century, New York Evening Post, and others. She was the editor of Mother of Clubs. Her literary friends included Lilian Whiting and Zona Gale.
Early years and education
Ella Augusta Giles was born in Dunkirk, Wisconsin, February 2, 1851. She was the daughter of Hiram Horatio Giles, for twenty years a member of the Wisconsin State Board of Charities. He was once president of the National Conference of Charities. From him, Giles inherited a philanthropic spirit, which was visible in her writings. Her mother's maiden name was Rebecca S. Watson. From the maternal side, Giles inherited a love of art and literature.
Ruddy early showed musical talent. Her fine voice was carefully cultivated by Hans Balatka. She received her education at Stoughton High School and the University of Wisconsin.
Career
She was quite distinguished as an oratorio and church singer when her health failed, and she was compelled to abandon what promised to be a successful career in music. During the isolation illness rendered necessary she wrote her first romance, Bachelor Ben (Chicago, 1875). It had a very wide sale, reaching the third edition in a few months and making its young author exceedingly popular throughout the Northwest. Her stories Out From the Shadows (1876) and Maiden Rachel (1879) followed with the same publishers. Meanwhile, Ruddy received many calls for lectures and achieved success in that field. In 1879, she became librarian of the public library in Madison, Wisconsin, and held the position for five years, doing at the same time much literary work. She resigned after her mother's death, in 1884. so as to devote herself to the care of her father's home.
Her first verses then began to appear and won an immediate favor. She published one volume of poems entitled Flowers of the Spirit (Chicago, 1891). Her winters were always passed in the South, and she wrote many newspaper letters from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and various parts of the South. She made a study of Scandinavian literature and was known for her scholarly sketches of Swedish and Norwegian writers. These sketches were translated into Swedish and Norwegian by different authors. She wrote many valuable articles on prison reform and ethical subjects, and belonged to the Woman's Congress committee on journalism.