Ruth Barrett Phelps

Ruth Barrett Phelps (October 21, 1899 - August 30, 1980) was an American organist whose career included both theatre organ and church performance.

Biography Ruth was born on October 21, 1899, in Albany, New York. She studied under a number of well-known teachers including Lilian Carpenter, Lynnwood Farnam, Ernest Mitchell, Fritz Heitmann, and Frank La Forge, and she attended Guilmant Organ School in New York City and American School of Music in Fontainebleau, France. She moved to the Cameo Theatre in 1928.

She married Lawrence I. Phelps, an organ builder, and from this point on performed as Ruth Barrett Phelps. She became the principal organist at The First Church of Christ, Scientist by 1950, the Aeolian-Skinner organ installed during her tenure was designed by her husband. As a result, she became one of Boston's prominent musicians, and made recordings and national radio broadcasts from the church. She was the first woman dean of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She wrote a monthly review column in The Christian Science Monitor, and published a number of music books.

Ruth Barrett Phelps died on August 30, 1980, in San Mateo, California.