Ruth Huddleston was born in Windrock, Tennessee on September 8, 1925. The oldest of seven children, Ruth grew up helping with the family farm. Later, Ruth became a school teacher and then worked at a hosiery mill before she and her father both got jobs at Oak Ridge. Ruth worked as a cubicle operator––or “calutron girl”––at the Y-12 plant. After working on the Manhattan Project, Ruth had a long career in education, first as a teacher and then as a guidance counselor, before retiring in 1989 to spend more time with her grandchildren.