Earlham Notable Alumni

A teacher should be a counselor, a stand-in parent, a diplomat, a good humor man, but most of all, a friend. - Ruth Farlow Uyesugi

Biography

Throughout her life, Ruth Farlow Uyesugi filled many roles, including teacher, journalist, author, and playwright. She grew up in the small town of Paoli, Indiana, where she would eventually return to live and teach at Paoli High School. During Ruth’s time at Earlham, from 1941-1944, she studied Latin, English, and journalism. While at Earlham, she met Edward T. "Eddie" Uyesugi, who was studying at Earlham to avoid the forcible internment of Japanese-Americans happening at the time on the West coast. The two married in 1946. She later wrote her autobiographical novel, Don't Cry, Chiisai, Don't Cry, about her and Eddie's lives in the time before, during, and after WWII, including the challenges they faced as an interracial couple in 1940s Indiana. Ruth, also known as Mrs. U or Mrs. Sugi by her students, spent 56 years teaching high school journalism, English, Spanish, and Latin at Paoli High School before retiring in 2011. Mrs. U dedicated her life to teaching students, going as far as to say, “When the child is aware of his own greatness, the learning is ready to begin.” She also had a weekly column in the local newspaper, The Paoli News-Republican, and supervised the Paoli High School student newspaper, Paolite. Before her passing in 2018, Mrs. U was recognized several times as a teacher and journalist.

Achievements

• Ruth founded the Orange County Players community theater group in 1970.
• In 1981 and 1988, she was presented as an Indiana Teacher of the Year finalist.
• In 1987, Ruth received the Indiana University High School Teacher Award.
• In 1993 and again in 1994, Ruth won the Hoosier State Press Association's news story and feature photo honors for her talent within the field of journalism and newspaper advertising.
• She published a weekly column for the Paoli News-Republican, On the Flip Side, from 1994 to 2006. In the column, she reported on her and her cat, Chiisai's, personal opinions on events throughout the world, the nation, state, Orange County, and Paoli. In 2004 she jokingly launched a presidential campaign for Chiisai in the newspaper, whose campaign promises included "build[ing] bigger and better litter boxes."
• She supervised Paolite, the student newspaper at Paoli High School, which received several awards during her run, including three-times All-American honors from the National Scholastic Press Association.
• In 1999 she was welcomed into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, the first high school teacher to be so. She was nominated by her students.
• She won the Outstanding Journalism Teacher of the Nation award twice.