M. Catherine Burkart

M. Catherine Burkart

Mary Catherine Burkart was born and raised in Sycamore, IL along with her 5 brothers. She left Illinois in 1944 to join the army but returned to work for 25 in the airline industry. “Kay” as she was known, began working for American Airlines as a ticket agent in Chicago. She worked in several areas and eventually climbed the ladder to sales management in New York where she has lived since 1958. She was one of the first women to be employed by a major airline to sell an airline product to major corporations. Kay has great affection for her hometown area.
Because of her love of the area and education. Kay established this fund, which will benefit students, faculty, and a dean’s fund. She shares that “helping a young person achieve a career goal is the best investment to be made.” She says she hopes the gift to the university will achieve this.