Ruth Stafford Peale (September 10, 1906 – February 6, 2008) was an American writer, editor, and speaker. She was born in Fonda, Iowa, to Canadian parents Methodist clergyman Frank B. Stafford and Loretta A. Stafford. In 1913, the family moved to Detroit, where she attended high school and ultimately attended

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

. Peale graduated from

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

in 1928, where she studied math and philosophy. After this, she taught high school mathematics. Although she originally vowed never to marry a minister after growing up as the daughter of a minister, eventually she married

Norman Vincent Peale Norman Vincent Peale (May 31, 1898 – December 24, 1993) was an American Protestant clergyman, and an author best known for popularizing the concept of positive thinking, especially through his best-selling book '' The Power of Positive ...

on June 20, 1930. Norman would later write ''

The Power of Positive Thinking ''The Power of Positive Thinking: A Practical Guide to Mastering the Problems of Everyday Living'' is a 1952 self-help book by American minister Norman Vincent Peale. It provides anecdotal "case histories" of positive thinking using a biblical ...

.'' The two met in Syracuse. Along with her husband, Peale co-founded the

Guideposts ''Guideposts'' is a spiritual non-profit organization that encourages wellness through inspirational content creation. Founded in 1945 by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Raymond Thornburg, and Peale's wife, Ruth Stafford Peale with just one inaugural ...

publishing organization in 1945. She has been recognized as the driving force behind the ''Guideposts'' inspirational magazine. Peale served as Guideposts' Chairman of the Board from 1992 to 2003. The two also formed the Peale Center for Christian Living. Peale was the first woman to be president of the National Board of North American Missions of the

Reformed Church in America The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 152,317 members. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed ...

. She also founded the Knit for Kids program of the Peale Center, which distributes sweaters to children in need. In 1971, she published the book ''The Adventure of Being a Wife'', which offered advice for married women based on her and her husband's philosophy of positive thinking. This was later republished as ''Secrets of Staying in Love'' in 1984. Peale died on February 6, 2008, in

Pawling, New York Pawling may refer to: *Pawling (town), New York, in Dutchess County **Pawling (village), New York Pawling is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 2,347 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie– N ...

, at age 101. At her death, Peale was chairman emeritus of Guideposts. During her lifetime, Peale received multiple awards and honors, including the Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans,

American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide network of 170,000 ...

"Woman of the Year" in 2000, and four honorary doctoral degrees.

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Ruth Stafford Peale 1906 - 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peale, Ruth Stafford 1906 births 2008 deaths American centenarians Methodists from Iowa 20th-century American women writers People from Pawling, New York People from Pocahontas County, Iowa Women centenarians Wayne State University alumni Methodists from New York (state) American people of Canadian descent Methodists from Michigan