Early Life and Education
- Title
- Ethel McIlrath with Howard, Frances, and Patricia McIlrath
- Creator
- (unknown)
- Date
- June 22, 1917
- Subject
- McIlrath, Patricia (1917-1999)
- McIlrath, Ethel Howard (1890-1966)
- McIlrath, Howard (1913-2006)
- Peak, Frances McIlrath (1915-2011)
- Description
- A woman, Ethel Howard McIlrath, sits holding her six-month-old daughter, Patricia McIlrath. Her two-year-old daughter, Frances McIlrath (later Peak), sits on her lap and her three-year-old son Howard McIlrath stands in front of them.
- Publisher
- n/a
- Type
- Photograph
- Coverage
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Source
- n/a
- Rights
- No Known Copyright
- Item sets
- Patricia McIlrath
- Media
SKM_360i25031812050.jpg
- Title
- George and Ethel McIlrath Portrait
- Creator
- (unknown)
- Date
- (unknown)
- Subject
- McIlrath, George (1886-1954)
- McIlrath, Ethel Howard (1890-1966)
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Description
- Ethel and George McIlrath pose together in front of a house. George is sitting on the steps in front of the house. Ethel stands beside him, holding a blanket around herself.
- Publisher
- n/a
- Type
- Photograph
- Coverage
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Source
- n/a
- Rights
- Copyright Not Evaluated
- Item sets
- Patricia McIlrath
- Media
SKM_360i25031812140.jpg
- Title
- The McIlrath Siblings
- Creator
- (unknown)
- Date
- (unknown)
- Subject
- McIlrath, Patricia (1917-1999)
- Kansas City, Missouri
- McIlrath, Howard (1913-2006)
- McIlrath, Richard (1918-1990)
- Peak, Frances McIlrath (1915-2011)
- Finter, Jeanne McIlrath (1927-1984)
- Description
- Howard McIlrath, Robert McIlrath, Patricia McIlrath, Frances McIlrath (later Peak) and Jeanne McIlrath (later Finter) pose together on the steps in front of a house, smiling. Frances has her hands on Jeanne's shoulders and either Robert or Howard has an arm around Patricia's neck.
- Publisher
- n/a
- Type
- Photograph
- Coverage
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Source
- n/a
- Rights
- Copyright Not Evaluated
- Item sets
- Patricia McIlrath
- Media
SKM_360i25031812150.jpg
- Title
- Patricia McIlrath in Graduation Robes
- Creator
- (unknown)
- Date
- June 7, 1937
- Subject
- McIlrath, Patricia (1917-1999)
- Grinnell College
- Grinnell, Iowa
- Description
- Patricia McIlrath poses wearing graduation regalia and holding a diploma.
- Publisher
- n/a
- Type
- Photograph
- Coverage
- Grinnell, Iowa
- Source
- n/a
- Rights
- Copyright Not Evaluated
- Item sets
- Patricia McIlrath
- Media
SKM_360i25031812160.jpg
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Dr. McIlrath was born in 1917 and raised in Kansas City.
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She had four siblings, Jeanne, Howard, Bob, and Frances, all of whom she stayed close to throughout her life. Dr. McIlrath also remained close to her parents, George and Ethel. George was a lawyer and her mother was a homemaker.
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Dr. McIlrath’s family was deeply Catholic, and religious faith continued to influence her strongly throughout her life.
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After graduating from Paseo High School in 1933, Dr. McIlrath embarked on a higher education career which lasted 16 years! She first attended Kansas City Junior College, which is now the Metropolitan Community Colleges. Moving out of Kansas City for the first time since her childhood, she went to Grinnell College in Iowa and earned her bachelors degree in history in 1937. After teaching at high schools and elementary schools in Missouri, McIlrath moved to Illinois to attend graduate school at Northwestern University. In addition to getting her own degree, she also worked as the Director of Drama! After graduating, she taught speech and acting at the University of Illinois. Completing her education, Dr. McIlrath became a doctor of theater and interpretation when she attended Stanford in California!
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By the early 1950s, Dr. McIlrath was back in Illinois, teaching at the University of Illinois- Urbana. Although Dr. McIlrath had lived outside of Kansas City for almost two decades, she was drawn back to Kansas City by her father’s death in 1954. Before he passed away, he said to her “Try to do something for Kansas City. It has been very good to us all. I owe it so much.” (Box 4 Folder 22) Although Dr. McIlrath enjoyed her work in Illinois and was deeply involved in the community there, because of her father’s request she decided to try to help Kansas City using her theater expertise.