Name/Title
Bettie Arnold RyeEntry/Object ID
Rye, Bettie ArnoldDescription
Mrs. Rye was painted in her inauguration gown, standing and facing forward. The dress has a black chiffon skirt with beaded bodice attached to skirt at hips. The bodice is embellished with vertical strips of sequins. The bodice is grey. She is wearing a black brooch in the center of the bodice and black oval earrings. She has blue eyes and her grey hair is upswept. The portrait is a 3/4 length of the figure.Collection
Private CollectionMade/Created
Artist
Cornelius Hankins, 1863-1946Date made
1914 - 1918General Notes
Note Type
Historical NoteNote
The subject was born in Camden, Tennessee, in 1870 to Aaron Arnold and Josephine Hawley Arnold. She married Tom C. Rye, Jr., on June 17, 1887 and they had at least 2 children. She was first lady of Tennessee during Governor Rye's term of office from 1914 to 1918. They lived in the old governor's mansion located where the War Memorial Building now stands. She died in 1953 and is buried beside her husband in Maplewood Cemetery in Paris, Tennessee.Create Date
October 6, 2026Update Date
October 6, 2026