Ah Quon McElrath

Ah Quon McElrath (15 December 1915 – 11 December 2008) was a Hawaii labor reform leader and social activist. She retired in 1981, but spent her career advocating for unions by pushing for equal pay and treatment from the Big Five in Hawaii.

Early life McElrath was born Leong Yuk Quon in Iwilei after her parents immigrated to Hawaii from Zhongshan, China. Her father worked many small jobs, and died when McElrath was 5 years old. After her father's death, McElrath and her siblings worked in pineapple canneries.

At age 17, McElrath went to a burlesque theater to hear Upton Sinclair, a famed muckraker, give a speech on poverty. This speech was her inspiration to become a social activist.

She married Robert "Bob" McElrath in 1941.

After graduation she worked at the Board of Public Welfare. and worked there she retired in 1981. In 1981, she served on the board of a civil rights advocacy organization founded by Hawaii defense attorney David Schutter.

Communism links In 1971, the FBI released information naming the Central Committee of the Communist Party USA in Hawaii. Aside from McElrath, the list included Jack Hall, Jack Denichi Kimoto, John Reinecke, and Robert McElrath. Hall, Kimoto, Reinecke, and four others were put on trial for violating the Smith Act.

Retirement After retirement, McElrath continued to advocate for the poor, women's rights, education, and health care. McElrath received an honorary doctorate from the university in 1988 and the UH Founders Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.

McElrath died in 2008.