Ardis Krainik

Distinguished Alumnae Award Recipient, 1982

Ardis Krainik, 1929-1997.  Ardis was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and received her BS in 1951 at Northwestern's School of Speech.  With training as a mezzo-soprano, she began her tenure at Lyric Opera of Chicago right out of college, starting as the clerk/typist/secretary to the founder of the Lyric in its first year of existence.  It was the only place she ever worked from college graduation to retirement due to illness. In her final 15 years as the Lyric’s General Manager, the Lyric made great strides as an institution - achieving financial stability, growing in stature, and bringing acclaim to the city of Chicago.  In 1984 she received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Northwestern. Two decades after her passing, "her legacy lives on in countless ways" beautifully described in  Remembering Ardis Krainik.