A Tribute to Ruth Haley

Walking around on tour, one of my favorite spots to reference are the millstones in the circle outside of Hepburn Hall. The stones were recovered from a mill that burned down in the 1880s. The stones were given to the university by a woman named Ruth Haley, who owned the property where the stones were located until the late 1980s. A raised plaque at the base of the millstone sculpture tells the history of the artwork. What you won’t be able to find out from reading the plaque though is the story of Ruth’s incredible charity to St. Lawrence University. A North Country local, SLU alumna, and personal acquaintance of mine, the legacy that Ruth left behind on St. Lawrence and the local area is one that I hope to memorialize in this week’s blog.

Ruth graduated from St. Lawrence in 1933. Originally from Potsdam, she remained in the North Country for the rest of her life. Ruth had an uncharacteristic fondness for college hockey; uncharacteristic in the sense that she supported both her alma mater and our rivals to the east, Clarkson University. The North Country locals tend to be divided in their hockey allegiances one way or the other which is why it is so remarkable that Ruth was such an outspoken sponsor of both programs.

Ruth purchased season tickets from both teams and would usually attend a game at one school on Friday night and one at the other on Saturday night. Her attendance at these games was a constant and soon everyone from the fans to the players to the coaching staff knew who she was. When looking for her in the crowd it helped that she wore the same brown fur coat to every game; her signature style. The coaching staff for both sides said they couldn’t have asked for a better fan. Ruth came to the games simply to cheer on the teams and watch hockey. She never thought it was her job to impart suggestions or criticism on the players or coaches. Win or lose she was there to provide support for her hometown team. In January 1998, right before a Clarkson vs. St. Lawrence showdown at Appleton Arena, the head coaches from both teams brought Ruth down to the ice and presented her with a half Clarkson half SLU jersey that had been sewn together; an unprecedented honor for an unprecedented fan.

I attended church in Potsdam with Ruth growing up. She was an incredibly sweet lady. Though I never really had the chance to talk to her about her love of college hockey (I was only 9 when we first met) I soon began to recognize her face in the stands at Appleton on a few cold North Country nights. And in case you were wondering, her fur coat made an appearance at church back then too.

Ruth died in August 2009, only a few days before I started college. She lived to be 97 years old.

Ruth’s story had me thinking this week about what college hockey means to the North Country. The most obvious observation as to why people in the North Country follow hockey so religiously is in part due to our isolation from professional teams. More than 70 miles and an international border separate Canton from the nearest professional team; in any sport. To some locals, college hockey is as much of a religious following as any pro team. Hockey is also important to the kids who grow up here. They grow up watching these teams, some with the aspirations of one day making the squad. Incidentally this year, and for a second season, the Saints are captained by Canton native Kyle Flanagan. Overall hockey is the sport that everyone from locals to students to faculty can rally behind. Colleges always wonder to what degree they are giving back to their community. Here in Canton, on any given winter night, we see a town and student body united together in support for their hometown team. One can only hope that Saints fans continue to show the kind of dedication to their team and town that Ruth did during her lifetime. Win or lose, it’s about being part of a fan nation that goes beyond the college itself and back generations and generations. Ruth would have been 100 this year. I’m sure somewhere up there she’s still cheering for the Scarlet and the Brown.

Special thanks Watertown Daily Times writer Cap Carey for the information on Ruth.

Follow St. Lawrence Hockey news and scores. www.stlawu.edu/athletics

Go Saints!