Ruth and Paul Hume

Ruth Fox Hume was born in New York City in 1922. After college, Miss Fox attended medical school for a while until she realized that writing—about the history of medicine, for instance—was where her interests lay.  She would write several books related to medicine: Great Men of Medicine, Milestones of Medicine, and Great Women of Medicine.  Her preparation for a medical career also would lead her into two teaching fields, that of chemistry, at Dunbarton College, and of Latin, at the Catholic University of America; she also taught at Holy Cross Academy.

Meanwhile in 1949 Ruth and Paul Chandler Hume had met and married. They settled in the Washington, D.C. area and raised a family of four children (Paul, Michael, Ann and Peter). Ruth Fox Hume became recognized as an able writer for young people about outstanding events and people. She contributed two biographies to the Vision Book series, Our Lady Came to Fatima, and St Margaret Mary, Apostle of the Sacred Heart; and a book on Florence Nightingale for the World Landmark series. She also wrote book reviews for the Washington Evening Star.

Paul Hume was born in Chicago in 1915. He received a degree in music from the University of Chicago and went on to long-term occupations as a professor of music at Georgetown University (and director of its Glee Club); as host for a classical music radio program; and as music editor for the Washington Post. He wrote books and articles on music and musicians, including works on the music and hymns of the Catholic Church.  In 1978 the University of Chicago honored him with the Outstanding Alumnus Achievement; he was also recognized by various colleges for his professional work and by the Music Critics Association for outstanding achievement in music criticism.

In The Lion of Poland, both husband and wife’s interests and skills converged. They collaborated, drawing from Paul’s extensive music files and personal knowledge in the field of music, and from Ruth’s talents as a writer of biographies for youth.  The success of their combined efforts can be judged by the vivid and authentic portrait of Paderewski that emerges from their research. One more time the husband and wife team would go on to co-author another musical biography together, King of Song: the Story of John McCormack.

Ruth Fox Hume died in 1980; Paul Hume, in 2001.

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