Ruth Cole Kainen

Ruth Cole Kainen (February 19, 1922 – September 13, 2009) was a major and erudite collector and benefactor (with her husband, the artist Jacob Kainen [1909–2001]) of paintings, drawings, engravings and prints, dating from the 15th century to modern times. While the National Gallery of Art was the major recipient of their generosity, they also donated many works to the Phillips Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Baltimore Museum of Art and other institutions. Born in Rosboro, Arkansas, she grew up in Oregon, where her family was involved with the Rosboro timber and lumber company, whose ownership she retained throughout her life. Ruth Cole began collecting art in the early 1960s, even before she met her artist husband. Following earning a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Oregon in 1942, her adventurous life included service in the Navy WAVES during World War II. At Yale University she studied music and received a second bachelor's degree in 1950.