Mary Creegan Roark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd President of Eastern Kentucky University | |
| In office April 16, 1909 – April 9, 1910 | |
| Preceded by | Ruric Nevel Roark |
| Succeeded by | John G. Crabbe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 1, 1861 Brighton, Iowa |
| Died | February 1, 1922 (aged 60) Baltimore, Maryland |
| Spouse | Ruric Nevel Roark (m. 1882) |
| Alma mater | National Normal University |
| Occupation | Academic administrator |
Mary Creegan Roark (September 1, 1861[1] – February 1, 1922) was the first female President and second President of Eastern Kentucky State Normal School, later Eastern Kentucky University, from April 1909 until March 1910. Roark held this position following the death of her husband, Ruric Nevel Roark, in 1909.[2] Roark led the university at a time when women did not have the right to vote in state or federal elections.[3] Roark was involved in the Suffrage Movement for Equal Rights and was elected Secretary of the Kentucky Equal Rights Association in 1898.[2] Her stances included better teacher training and salaries, she also helped gain the right to vote in school elections.[2] Roark died in Baltimore, Maryland on February 1, 1922[4] and is buried in Richmond, Kentucky at the Richmond Cemetery.[5]
- ^ "Mary Creegan Roark | H-Kentucky | H-Net". networks.h-net.org. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
- ^ a b c "Mary Creegan Roark · Discover EKU". discovereku.eku.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
- ^ "Regents Designate Mary Roark as Eastern's 2nd President". www.eku.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
- ^ "Mrs. Mary C. Roark, Madison, Dies in East". The Capital Times. February 2, 1922. p. 2. Retrieved April 8, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Roark Family Collection, 1879-1960 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives". findingaids.eku.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-02.