State Rep. Rory Ellinger, who died last week at the age of 72, will be honored by the University City school board at the school board meeting 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17 at district headquarters, 8136 Groby Rd.
Ellinger served on the University City school board for 12 years, including 10 years in leadership roles. He will be honored posthumously for his years of service to youth and educators. Also, the Brittany Woods Middle School Library Media Center will be dedicated “to honor the memory of this strong proponent for social justice and educational excellence,” according to the district.
“Rory Ellinger lived his life according to deeply held beliefs and a strong sense of community service,” said Joylynn Pruitt, superintendent of schools for the School District of University City. “He is an inspiration for all of us and is the model of a true servant-leader.”
Ellinger (1941-2014) was a veteran of the civil rights and legal aid movements who briefly served as a bodyguard for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was president of Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Missouri-Columbia while pursuing his master’s degree during the Vietnam War. Later in life, Ellinger channeled his activism into elected office, becoming known as Missouri’s most liberal legislator.
When his illness caused him to withdraw from his re-election campaign last month, he said: “I hope that whomever is chosen by the voters will carry on my commitment to helping the vulnerable and the powerless, to addressing issues of injustice and unfairness, and to representing the needs of all Missourians.”
