Although the woman in today’s Women’s History Month Profile may never even have set foot in Wakefield, her work nevertheless is an integral part of the town’s landscape and identity.

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, January 29th, 1871. She was the youngest daughter of Cyrus W. and Anna H. Ruggles.

Considered a prodigy from an early age, Theo’s mother was determined to recognize and nurture her daughter’s talent so that she could develop as an artist.  

Initially, Theo’s mother tried to enroll her daughter in the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, but the fine arts school turned the very young Theo away, as did several other excellent schools.  At length, they were advised to try find a tutor for Theo and the family met an English sculptor named Henry Hudson Kitson.

Theo flourished under Kitson’s tutelage, starting in 1886, when she was just 15 years of age.  They were soon living in France where Theo made quite a name for herself as an artist and a woman. In 1888, at the tender age of 19 years old, she won honorable mention at the Salon des Artistes Francais, making her the youngest woman, and the first American, to ever receive the award. She also received honorable mention at the Paris Exhibition of 1889. While in France, Theo also studied under Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret, an accomplished French painter.

After an exciting and productive time in France, Theo soon returned to the United States and in 1893, Theo married Henry Kitson in Boston in what was described as “the social event of the season.  

Now a social celebrity after her accomplishments in France, she was asked for her opinion on everything from contemporary American art to men’s fashions.   In 1895 she was the first woman to be admitted to the National Sculpture Society and she was awarded a bronze medal at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904.  

Theo and her husband lived in Framingham, Massachusetts, and later to Sherborn, while maintaining studios in Boston. Despite having 4 children, Theo continued to work hard at her craft. 

In 1903  a signature work, her Massachusetts memorial in Vicksburg, was dedicated.   She strove to portray just an average soldier on the monument, a kind of “Everyman.”Its 12-ton base was shipped from the Quincy quarries at her insistence on having a small piece of Massachusetts at Vicksburg.  

Although Theo and her husband Henry separated in 1909,  the two were still able to collaborate over the next 17 years on several contributions to Vicksburg, including the 1911 equestrian statue of the “standard Bearer” at the Iowa Memorial.

With 73 sculptures as her legacy, Theo Alice Ruggles lives on in her art.  She lived to be 61 years old, with 46 of those years dedicated to her work, with examples of her work t be seen all over the country.  

Here in Wakefield, we are proud to cherish Theo Ruggles Kitson’s work, “The Hiker” Memorial on the Rockery, as one of our signature examples of public sculpture that has become one of the symbols of the town.  

A monument to the soldiers who fought in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, and the Boxer Rebellion, there are around 50 versions of this work on display throughout the United States.

“Women in Wakefield” is a month-long feature by the Wakefield Historical Society, profiling some of the many historic women who have helped to shape our town’s history.  All profiles are posted on the Society’s social media pages and on the website blog at wakefield history.org.  Many of them are also being featured through the courtesy of the Wakefield Daily Item.