Richard Ruddy. Courtesy MPL
LIBRARY News:
Albuquerque historian Richard Ruddy is the featured Author at Mesa Public Library’s “Authors Speak” series at 7 p.m., March 26, in Mesa Public Library’s Upstairs Rotunda.
Ruddy is the author of a biography of Edmund G. Ross, entitled Edmund G. Ross: Soldier, Senator, Abolitionist. Ross also served as a Territorial Governor of New Mexico.
The name of Edmund G. Ross has receded into history but is remembered because of the crucial role he played as United States Senator at the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, where he, as a Republican Senator from Kansas, defied his party and cast the decisive vote to acquit Johnson. One of Ross’s greatest points of pride was the establishment of New Mexico’s three institutions of higher learning – the University of New Mexico, New Mexico School of Mines and the New Mexico State University.
Richard Ruddy retired in 2002, and became a serious student of Albuquerque history, giving lectures about prominent Albuquerque residents. He’s a board member of Historic Albuquerque Inc., and a member of the Historical society of New Mexico. In 2005 Ruddy began a six-year study of Ross’s life that led to the publication of the book. The book won the New Mexico Book of the Year Award in 2014, along with the award for best biography. It was published by the University of New Mexico Press.
The Authors Speak Series is a monthly event featuring local and regional authors speaking about their writing on a variety of subjects such as local and state history, travel, outdoor activities, fiction, Native American history and culture, poetry and more. The series is funded by the Friends of the Los Alamos County Library System. The talks are free and begin at 7 p.m., on the fourth Thursday of each month, followed by the opportunity to meet the authors and enjoy refreshments.
A description from the book jacket reads:
“Richard Ruddy’s highly readable biography of Edmund G. Ross illuminates a figure known almost exclusively for his vote in the Andrew Johnson impeachment trial. This book reveals Ross as a lifelong reformer, an engaging individual, and a man who was true to principle in a variety of challenging circumstances.” – David L. Caffey, author of Chasing the Santa Fe Ring: Power and Privilege in Territorial New Mexico (UNM Press)
“Richard Ruddy brings the life of Edmund G. Ross out of obscurity and gives Ross the attention he deserves. Through Ross’s fascinating life we are reminded that the decisions one makes bring consequences and that integrity comes with a price.” – Mark Weitz, author of The Confederacy on Trial: The Piracy and Sequestration Cases of 1861
