Elizabeth Virginia Dimitry Ruth.

About Elizabeth Virginia Dimitry Ruth

Elizabeth Virginia Dimitry Ruth was a poet, author, and educator. Virginia was the mixed-race Creole daughter of Alexander Dimitry and one of the few educated family members who did not attend Georgetown like her mixed-race father, siblings, and uncles. Both of her brothers, Charles Patton Dimitry and John Bull Smith Dimitry, obtained degrees at the institution and became well-known Southern authors. Virginia wrote a book of poetry and a novel. She was honored by her student, American author George Augustin, who dedicated the book Romances of New Orleans to her. Her one daughter, Lizzie D. Ruth, married her Creole first cousin, Dracos Anthony Dimitry. He was also the mayor of Corencro. Her daughter's marriage was one of the few instances where members of the Dimitry family chose to marry Creoles instead of mixing with whites. Another such case was George Pandely, who also chose to marry his first cousin, who was also Creole. Virginia's family underwent racial hardships during her lifetime, some of which resulted in prominent legal cases, including: Forstall, f.p.c. v. Dimitry (1833) and Pandelly v. Wiltz (1854).