Chow, Ruby, 1920 – 2008

Person

Staff Only

Dates

Existence: 1920-06-06 - 2008-06-04

Biography

Chinese American restauranteur and politician in Seattle, Washington.

She and her second husband opened Ruby Chow's restaurant in 1948 in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood. It was the first Chinese restaurant outside of Seattle's Chinatown. She rented the attic of the restaurant to martial artist and actor Bruce Lee.

Chow ran for King County Council in 1973 as a Democrat. She encountered a GOP campaign worker named Ted Bundy (who was later convicted and executed for his crimes as a serial killer), who unsuccessfully tried to convince Chow to change her party affiliation to Republican.

She was the first Asian American elected to the King County Council.

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

Ruby Chow's menu

Digital Image

Identifier: 1975-002-6.1-8-5-017

Found in: The University of Tulsa, McFarlin Library, Department of Special Collections & University Archives

Ruby Chow's menu, undated

Item — Box 8, Folder: 5

Identifier: 1975-002-6.1-8-5-017

Scope and Contents

Ruby Chow's menu. Broadway and Jefferson, Seattle 4, Washington. MAin 6707.

Illustrated menu cover. Gold tassle. This menu is formatted to be read from the right-side cover to the left-side cover.

Cocktail list, description of Ruby and her husband, and Chinese dinners listed within.

Dates: undated

Found in: The University of Tulsa, McFarlin Library, Department of Special Collections & University Archives / John W. Shleppey collection, Undated / Sub-Collection 6 - John W. Shleppey artifacts / John W. Shleppey collection of restaurant menus and travel/advertising ephemera