MSU alum Beth Robinette celebrates 100th birthday

Both Morehead State University and Beth Patrick Robinette (Class of 1958) celebrate significant milestones this year.  

As one of MSU’s oldest living alumni, Robinette celebrated her 100th birthday the same year that MSU celebrates its 100th anniversary as a public institution.   

Robinette was born on June 5, 1922, in the town of Forest Branch in Floyd County. During World War II, she worked in Detroit, Michigan, at an assembly plant where they made boat parts. After returning to Kentucky and moving in with her aunt at age 20, she graduated from Caney Junior College (now Alice Lloyd College) before coming to Morehead and earning a Bachelor of Arts from the then-named Morehead State College in 1958.  

Robinette had a long career in teaching. She taught fourth grade for over three decades, beginning at Cannonsburg Elementary School before moving to Summit Elementary School. She touched the lives of many students in the area before she officially retired in 1985. That was the same year her late husband, Elmer Robinette, passed away. Elmer served in World War II and owned a successful auto shop and wrecker business. The two met in his garage and were married after two years of courtship. They eventually spent their remaining years together in Cannonsburg. The couple has two sons, Randy Robinette and the late Keith Robinette. 

Robinette’s 100th birthday ceremony occurred on June 11 at the Rose Hill Baptist Church in Ashland. Representatives from MSU and Alice Lloyd College were in attendance to recognize the occasion.  

To learn more about MSU’s centennial as a public institution, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/about-msu/centennial.  

Photo, left to right: Matthew Nutter (Class of 2018), advancement records specialist, Beth Robinette, and April Hobbs Nutter (Class of 1997, 2005), web and digital marketing director. Photo courtesy of Robinette’s granddaughter Kayla Robinette Fetty.  

Additional reporting comes courtesy of The Daily Independent in Ashland.