Bemidji State University
Ruth Howe was born in Braham, Minn. on March 4, 1930. She attended the University of Minnesota and received her B.S. in Physical Education in 1952 and her M. Ed. in 1957. Howe was an elementary, junior high and high school physical education teacher in Ely, Minn. from 1952-54 and taught junior high health and physical education in Minnetonka, Minn. in 1955-57. For the next 30 years, she taught and coached at Bemidji State University (1957-86) and retired as a Professor Emerita in 1986. While at BSU, she completed her Doctorate of Physical Education from the University of Indiana in 1968. Her coaching responsibilities at BSU included the following sports: Women’s Basketball (1963-75), Softball (1969) and Women’s Tennis (1975-86). For basketball, Howe was the first head coach in school history and amassed a 95-50-1 overall record in 11 seasons, still the best winning percentage (.653) of any BSU coach with more than one season of experience. Her basketball teams also achieved five appearances in the MAIAW State Tournament. In 1969-70, she implemented basketball and volleyball workshops and was an original member of the Minnkota Conference Committee. In 1974, she was MAIAW president and served as a board member from 1972-75. She was also the Minnkota and MAIAW basketball chairperson, Minnkota tennis chairperson and conducted several central district conferences and was a member of Minnesota Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD) and Central District Physical Education for College Women (CDPECW) Constitution and Resolution Committees. In 1989-91, Howe was on the United States Curling Association (USCA) Board of Directors and helped curling become an international and olympic sport. She participated in the first Minnesota women’s curling play-downs. In 2001, she received the Bemidji Women’s Curling League Plaque for 45 years of curling achievements. For her efforts, she received several awards in higher education, which include the following: Women’s Sports Foundation (Bemidji community) and the Senior Sportswoman of the Year Award (1996); Delta Kappa Gamma, Tau State, Mu Chapter (honorary education organization for teachers) Woman of the Year Achievement Award (1997); MAHPERD Pathfinder Award (1999); National Association for Girls and Women’s Sport (NAGWS) Pathfinder Award (2000); Bemidji State University Pioneer Award – celebrating 30 years of women’s competition (2000). Howe was inducted into the BSU Hall of Fame in 1986. In retirement, Ruth resides in Bemidji, Minn. with her husband, Merril Thiel, as both enjoy
hunting, fishing and golf. She continues to serve on committees at BSU that support Beaver athletics, including the BSU Hall of Fame Committee.