Ruth Elizabeth Harkness (21 September 1900 – 20 July 1947) was an American fashion designer and socialite. She traveled to China in 1936 and brought back the first live giant panda to the United States. Her story was told in a book by Vicki Constantine Croke, "The Lady and the Panda", published by Random House in 2005. Ruth was found dead in a hotel on July 20th 1947.