Archives West Finding Aid

Edna Ruddick Hart, the writer of this collection of letters married Alan Hart in New York City in 1925. Alan Hart was a medical doctor who had attended Albany College, Stanford, and the University of Oregon medical school as a woman (Alberta Lucille Hart). In 1918, after consulting with a psychiatrist, Hart had a hysterectomy and lived the rest of her life as a man. During the course of his life Alan distinguished himself as a radiologist and author of four books of medical fiction and one non-fiction manual of radiology. One of Hart's books, Doctor Mallory, has been named to the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission's "Oregon 100" book list. The work is set on the Oregon Coast near Reedsport, and details the struggles and predjudices faced by a community doctor, a tale that parallels Hart's own experiences in Southern Oregon.

Edna and Alan lived in a number of communities where Alan continued his education and worked as a radiologist. Although documentation is thin, it appears that Alan was often forced to leave jobs when his sexuality was discovered. After stints living in Rockford, Illinois; Spokane, Washington; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Tacoma and Seattle, Washington, the couple settled in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1950 where they lived the rest of their lives. Alan Hart died in 1962 and Edna Ruddick Hart died in 1982. From 1969 to 1972 Walter Marcus, the recipient of this collection of letters, boarded at Edna Ruddick Hart's house while he attended law school. During that time Edna formed a close bond with Walter, which can be seen her letters to Marcus after he graduated from law school.