Hugh McCorkle McElrath was born in Murray, Kentucky on May 21, 1888, the son of John Calvin McElrath and Fannie Nold McElrath. His father was a merchant in Murray and his mother’s father was the first principal of the Murray Male and Female Institute, which opened in 1872 and was one of the first schools in Murray. His mother was one of the first teachers of the school.
Hugh attended the Murray Male and Female Institute and in 1905 to 1908 he was a student at Bethel College in Russellville, Kentucky. During the school years of 1909 to 1911 he attended the Louisville Dental College, now the School of Dentistry of the University of Louisville He then enrolled at Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago where he received his D.D.S degree in 1912.
After his graduation from Northwestern University, he entered the practice of dentistry in Murray in October 1913. His thriving dental practice was interrupted from July 1918 to July 1919 because of World War I. Hugh was in the US Army and was a member of the American Expeditionary Forces and was overseas from September 1918 until June 1919. He was attached to the Evacuation Hospital No. 18. Upon completion of his army service, he returned to Murray and resumed the practice of dentistry.
On October 27, 1920, Hugh married Gladys M. Thomas, who was the daughter of Monroe A. Thomas and Mary Susan Graham Thomas. Monroe was a farmer and real estate operator in Calloway County, Kentucky. Gladys was a graduate of Georgetown College, having been a member of the Class of 1920.
Hugh and Gladys were the parents of four children. Their first child, Hugh Thomas McElrath was born on November 13, 1921 and graduated from Murray State Teachers College in 1943. A daughter, Miriam McElrath was born July 25, 1923 and a second daughter, Mary Frances McElrath was born on August 4, 1924. Their last child, William Nold McElrath was born on March 1, 1932.
Dr. McElrath was active in the affairs of various associations and organizations, both professional and social. He was a member of the Kentucky State Dental Association, which elected his its president in April 1924. He had served as the chairman of the Kentucky representatives for the program of the International Dental Congress, which met in Philadelphia in 1926. He was made a Fellow of the American College of Dentists in 1931.
Hugh was a member of several literary, dental and honorary fraternities and was a charter member and past president of the Murray Rotary Club. He was a deacon in Memorial Baptist Church in Murray and he and Gladys were active in the church affairs.
On the afternoon of March 8, 1963, Hugh and Gladys were enroute to Nashville to have dinner with their son, the Rev. William McElrath. They were sixteen miles south of Clarksville, Tennessee on the two lane US highway 41A when they were involved in a horrendous two-car collision. Both Hugh and Gladys were dead on arrival at the Clarksville hospital. The accident occurred less than a mile and a half north of the site of a violent crash the previous week that claimed five lives. Dr. McElrath was the oldest practicing dentist in Murray at the time of his death.
Hugh was 74 years old and Gladys was 64 at the time of their deaths. Both were buried in the Murray City Cemetery in Murray Kentucky.
LINEAGE: (Hugh McCorkle McElrath was the husband of Gladys Matia Thomas. Gladys was the daughter of Monroe A. and Mary Susan Graham Thomas and the granddaughter of Starkie Duprey and Sarah Frances Pugh Thomas. Starkie was the eleventh child of Perry Thomas and Elizabeth Bridges Thomas. Perry was the third child of James Thomas and Mary Standley Thomas. Elizabeth was the sixth child of Drury Bridges and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)
No comments:
Post a Comment