Ruth Hanna was born on March 27, 1880, in Cleveland, Ohio.
She was the third child of businessman and Republican politician Mark Hanna and Charlotte Augusta Hanna (née Rhodes).
Her mother descended from a wealthy Vermont coal and iron family.
She began riding ponies after her father gave her one as a gift when she was five years old.
Instead of riding sidesaddle, as was common for girls at the time, Hanna rode astride the way boys did.
She attended Hathaway Brown School in Cleveland, The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and the Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut.

Hanna's father was a close friend and political ally of Ohio Governor William McKinley, and she would often listen to the pair's political discussions.
In 1896, Hanna traveled the country with her father, who was campaigning for then-presidential candidate McKinley while also running his own campaign for the United States Senate.
Their stops included Dakota where Hanna stepped in to give a speech for her ill father, and Thomasville, Georgia, where she met her future husband Joseph "Medill" McCormick.
Both McKinley and Hanna's father won their races, with Hanna's father earning the nickname "the President Maker".

By age 16, Hanna was an avid horseback rider and never wore dresses.
She was said to have an independent spirit.
A practical joke she played on the McKinleys, in which she pretended to have killed a wildcat on her own, led to reports that Hanna was an avid hunter.

After high school, Hanna went to Washington, D.C., to work as a secretary for her father who was serving as United States Senator from Ohio.
Her duties included taking notes of events from the Senate Gallery.
Her father hosted political breakfasts at their Washington, D.C. home where Hanna would socialize with political elites, including Presidents McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
She was well known in the social circles of Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
Although her family was wealthy, Hanna did not limit her friends based on her social station.

In 1902, Hanna became engaged to Medill McCormick.
They were married on June 10, 1903, with President Roosevelt attending the wedding.
Like Hanna, Medill was from a well-connected family.
His grandfather, Joseph Medill, started the Chicago Tribune, which the family continued to own.
Hanna and Medill had three children: Katrina (born 1913), John Medill (born 1916), and Ruth "Bazy" (born 1921).
Ruth Hanna was born on March 27, 1880, in Cleveland, Ohio. She was the third child of businessman and Republican politician Mark Hanna and Charlotte Augusta Hanna (née Rhodes). Her mother descended from a wealthy Vermont coal and iron family. She began riding ponies after her father gave her one as a gift when she was five years old. Instead of riding sidesaddle, as was common for girls at the time, Hanna rode astride the way boys did. She attended Hathaway Brown School in Cleveland, The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and the Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut.
Hanna's father was a close friend and political ally of Ohio Governor William McKinley, and she would often listen to the pair's political discussions. In 1896, Hanna traveled the country with her father, who was campaigning for then-presidential candidate McKinley while also running his own campaign for the United States Senate. Their stops included Dakota where Hanna stepped in to give a speech for her ill father, and Thomasville, Georgia, where she met her future husband Joseph "Medill" McCormick. Both McKinley and Hanna's father won their races, with Hanna's father earning the nickname "the President Maker".
By age 16, Hanna was an avid horseback rider and never wore dresses. She was said to have an independent spirit. A practical joke she played on the McKinleys, in which she pretended to have killed a wildcat on her own, led to reports that Hanna was an avid hunter.
After high school, Hanna went to Washington, D.C., to work as a secretary for her father who was serving as United States Senator from Ohio. Her duties included taking notes of events from the Senate Gallery. Her father hosted political breakfasts at their Washington, D.C. home where Hanna would socialize with political elites, including Presidents McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. She was well known in the social circles of Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. Although her family was wealthy, Hanna did not limit her friends based on her social station.
In 1902, Hanna became engaged to Medill McCormick. They were married on June 10, 1903, with President Roosevelt attending the wedding. Like Hanna, Medill was from a well-connected family. His grandfather, Joseph Medill, started the Chicago Tribune, which the family continued to own. Hanna and Medill had three children: Katrina (born 1913), John Medill (born 1916), and Ruth "Bazy" (born 1921).
Ruth Hanna McCormick