Joseph Westley Ruggles (1837-1898) was born near Milan, Ohio, the eighth in a family of eleven children, all of who possessed musical talent, especially as vocalists. He attended the local school and completed High School at Niles, Michigan. He immediately began to teach country singing schools throughout the region. He attended normal institutes and studied with teachers such as George F. Root, Lowell Mason, William Mason, Carlo Bassini, William Ludden, and H. R. Palmer. He was musical director in the Northern Indiana College; musical director in Valparaiso College, and director of the Conservatory of Music of the Upper Iowa University, where he enjoyed a successful career of over thirty years. He was President of the Iowa Music Teachers State Association and vice-president of Iowa of the American Society for the Promotion of Musical Art. He contributed many articles to various journals and composed many hymns, songs, choral songs, and cantatas. He died in Oak Park, Michigan.

All are mixed chorus unless noted; some contain divisi.