Ruth Morey was elected as the first female member of the Select Board in 1956. She served a total of six years on the board, and from 1960-1962 she became the Board’s first female chair. She also served as the first female President of the Lexington Historical Society in 1964. She served on the School Committee for nine years, during five of which she was the committee’s Chairperson. She was an active member of Town Meeting for 25 years. In 1976 she received the White Hat Award on Patriot’s day, an award for Lexington’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year. She was the third woman to do so at the time.

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She had close ties to not just the political institutions in the town, but community groups as well. She received the White Hat Award because “almost every community organization in Lexington has felt her quiet guidance and constructive influence. Her life of selfless service has enriched Lexington, and is a beacon for others to emulate.”