Ruthe B. Cowl

Who was Ruthe B. Cowl?

Ruthe B. Mandell Cowl was a businesswoman and philanthropist who in 1959 established the first physical therapy and orthopedic clinic in her adopted city of Laredo, Texas. Her Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center is a private nonprofit organization that treats between 125 and 200 patients daily for physical, mental, or emotional problems. The center employs therapists, program managers, accountants, cooks, teachers, teacher aides, and counselors, some of whom work in the child development center. Cowl was the longtime unpaid executive director of the facility, located at 1220 Malinche Avenue in "The Heights" section of Laredo. The facility was named for Cowl on December 16, 1969. At the time, U.S. Representative Abraham Kazen, Jr., of Laredo paid tribute to her generosity and commitment in the Congressional Record.