{{Short description|American politician (1930–2011)}} {{about|the Maryland politician||Ruth Kirk (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ruth M. Kirk | image = 1ruth kirk.JPG | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|2|2}} | birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|6|17|1930|2|2}} | death_place = | state_delegate = Maryland | district = 44th | term_start = January 1995 | term_end = January 2011 | predecessor = | successor = Keiffer J. Mitchell, Jr. | constituency = Baltimore City | party = Democrat | occupation = | majority = | relations = | spouse = Arthur F. Kirk II | children = Six children | footnotes = | order2 = Maryland House of Delegates<br />(39th District) | term_start2 = 1983 | term_end2 = 1995 | president = | predecessor2 = | successor2 = (redistricting) | order3 = | term_start3 = | term_end3 = | predecessor3 = | successor3 = }}
'''Ruth M. Kirk''' (February 2, 1930 – June 17, 2011)<ref name=Sun>{{cite web|last=Anderson|first=Jessica|title=Ruth M. Kirk, former state delegate, dies at 81|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2011/06/17/ruth-m-kirk-former-state-delegate-dies-at-81/|work=The Baltimore Sun|date=17 June 2011 |access-date=June 18, 2011|archive-date=2012-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927050949/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-06-17/news/bal-ruth-kirk-dies_1_state-delegate-west-baltimore-state-commission|url-status=live}}</ref> was an American politician who represented the 44th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa12253.html |title=Ruth M. Kirk, Maryland State Delegate<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-06-28 |archive-date=2008-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919195903/http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa12253.html |url-status=live }}</ref> She was elected 7 times and served a total of 28 years representing west and west central Baltimore.
==Background== Born Ruth Simmons in Baltimore, Delegate Kirk was the fifth of eight children. She attended Baltimore City public schools through the ninth grade and later received a GED. Prior to being elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, Kirk held jobs as a house cleaner and in early childhood education. In 1970, Kirk took a job at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Baltimore, Maryland), working as a teacher's aide.<ref name= obit>{{cite web |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2011/06/18/ruth-m-kirk-long-time-delegate-dies/ |title=Ruth M. Kirk, long-time delegate, dies |access-date=2011-06-21 |author=Anderson, Jessica |date=2011-06-18 |publisher=Baltimore Sun |archive-date=2012-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927051032/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-06-18/news/bs-md-ob-ruth-kirk-20110618_1_delegate-harrison-state-delegate-west-baltimore-s-44th-district |url-status=live }}</ref>
==In the Legislature== Kirk was first elected in 1982 and sworn in as a member of the House of Delegates on January 12, 1983. She was appointed to the Constitutional and Administrative Law Committee and served on it until its elimination in 1990. She was then appointed to the Economic Matters Committee where she served until 2011. There, she served on its deathcare industry work group; workers' compensation subcommittee, 1995–2003; real estate & housing subcommittee, 1999–2003; business regulation subcommittee, 2003–11; property & casualty insurance subcommittee, 2003–06). During her career in the legislature, Kirk also served as a member of the Tort and Insurance Reform Oversight Committee, 1993; the House Facilities Committee, 1993–2011; the Joint Committee on Federal Relations, 1999–2004; the Protocol Committee, 2007–11, the Liaison Work Group of the Baltimore City Delegation, the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland (formerly Maryland Black Caucus), 1983-2011 (member, nominating committee, 2000–11, redistricting committee, 2000–11; past chair, budget committee; past treasurer), the Women Legislators of Maryland, 1983-2011 (president, 1994); the Maryland Veterans Caucus, 2006–11, and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.
Outside of the legislature, she was a member of the National Order of Women Legislators and the Southern Legislative Conference (economic development, transportation & cultural affairs committee, 2005–11; fiscal affairs & government operations committee, 2005–11).<ref name= archives>{{cite web|url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/former/html/msa12253.html|title=Former Delegates|access-date=2011-06-21|author=|date=|year=|publisher=Maryland Archives|archive-date=2011-05-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522084838/http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/former/html/msa12253.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Maryland_Delegates_McCoy,_Kirk,_Anderson_and_Cummings_in_1984.jpg|thumb|right|Delegates McCoy, Kirk, Anderson and Cummings during a floor session in the Maryland House in February 1984.]]
===Legislative notes=== * voted for the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB359)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0359.htm |title=BILL INFO-2007 Regular Session-HB 359<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-07-06 |archive-date=2016-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408222931/http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0359.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> * voted for the Healthy Air Act in 2006 (SB154)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/votes/house/0942.htm |title=Vote Record 0942<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-07-04 |archive-date=2016-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408222931/http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/votes/house/0942.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> * voted for slots in 2005 (HB1361)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/votes/house/0152.htm |title=Vote Record 0152<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-06-29 |archive-date=2017-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223102806/http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/votes/house/0152.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> * voted for income tax reduction in 1998 (SB750)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mlis.state.md.us/1998rs/votes/house/1229.htm |title=Vote Record 1229<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-07-14 |archive-date=2008-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124123847/http://mlis.state.md.us/1998rs/votes/house/1229.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> * voted in favor of increasing the sales tax by 20% - Tax Reform Act of 2007(HB2)[https://web.archive.org/web/20120209113112/http://www.mdchamber.org/docs/ss_hb2.pdf] * voted in favor of prohibiting ground rents in 2007(SB106)[http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0250.htm] * voted in favor of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6)[http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm]
===Democratic primary election results, 2010=== *'''2010 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 44th District'''<ref name="2010 results">{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2010/results/Primary/StateResults_office_016_district_44.html| title=House of Delegates Results| publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections| access-date=2011-03-26| archive-date=2010-10-07| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007065247/http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2010/results/Primary/StateResults_office_016_district_44.html| url-status=live}}</ref> ::'''Voters to choose three:''' (only the top 6 finishers are shown) :{| class="wikitable" |- !Name !Votes !Percent !Outcome |- |-{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Keith E. Haynes |4859 | 25.9% | Won |- |-{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Keiffer J. Mitchell, Jr. |4481 | 13.9% | Won |- |-{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Melvin L. Stukes |3321 | 17.7% | Won |- |-{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Ruth Kirk |2860 | 15.2% | Lost |- |-{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Chris Blake |973 | 5.1% | Lost |- |-{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Gary T. English |907 | 4.8% | Lost |- |}
===General election results, 2006=== *'''2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 44th District'''<ref name="2006 results">{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2006/results/general/county_Baltimore_City.html| title=House of Delegates Results| publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections| access-date=2007-03-03| archive-date=2016-04-08| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408222855/http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2006/results/general/county_Baltimore_City.html| url-status=live}}</ref> ::'''Voters to choose three:''' :{| class="wikitable" |- !Name !Votes !Percent !Outcome |- |-{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Melvin L. Stukes Dem. |13,173 | 34.0% | Won |- |-{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Ruth M. Kirk, Dem. |12,894 | 33.3% | Won |- |-{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Keith E. Haynes, Dem. |12,565 | 32.4% | Won |- |Other Write-Ins |129 | 0.3% | |- |}
==Death and legacy== [[file:Ruth Kirk Family Fun Festival (52270339998).jpg|thumb|Governor Larry Hogan at the Ruth Kirk Community Centre in August 2022]] She died in 2011. Her son, Art Kirk, created a recreation center in her honor called the Ruth M. Kirk Recreation and Learning Center and Community Garden.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=AFRO |date=2021-01-18 |title=A day of service honoring Delegate Ruth M. Kirk and Art Kirk |url=http://afro.com/a-day-of-service-honoring-delegate-ruth-m-kirk-and-art-kirk/ |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=AFRO American Newspapers |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525062036/https://afro.com/a-day-of-service-honoring-delegate-ruth-m-kirk-and-art-kirk/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirk, Ruth M.}} Category:Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates Category:African-American state legislators in Maryland Category:Politicians from Baltimore Category:1930 births Category:2011 deaths Category:Women state legislators in Maryland Category:21st-century African-American women politicians Category:20th-century African-American women politicians Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly Category:21st-century members of the Maryland General Assembly