Elinor Harriot

Elinor Harriot, born Elinor Harriet Hirschfield on August 30, 1910, in Duluth, Minnesota, was an American actress who later became active in education and civic affairs. Her father was a doctor and her mother was a teacher, and she had two older sisters. From an early age she received instruction in voice and elocution. A performance in a high school play resulted in her being hired by a touring stock company at the age of 17. She spent one year at the University of Wisconsin before pursuing her professional career.

Harriot's early stage work began in Louisville, Kentucky, where she performed with a theater troupe, and during 1930 and 1931 she served as the ingenue with a stock company in Lexington, Kentucky. Her Broadway credits include The Bonds of Interest, which she appeared in during 1929, and The Bride the Sun Shines On. Her role as a member of a wedding party in the latter production led to an unexpected opportunity in 1932, when the play's star, Dorothy Gish, collapsed before a scheduled matinee. With Gish's understudy unprepared, Harriot stepped in, having studied Gish's lines and movements independently in hopes of advancing to leading roles. She continued filling in until Gish returned, after which she was named the official understudy. That same summer she received a contract to perform at Lawrence Langer's Country Playhouse in Westport.

During the Great Depression, Don Ameche, a friend from her year at the University of Wisconsin, directed her attention toward radio. She portrayed Dorothy Wright on The Couple Next Door and performed on the daily programs Bachelor's Children and Backstage Wife, and also worked as an announcer. In 1935 she joined Amos 'n' Andy, voicing Amos's wife, Amos's baby, Mrs. Kingfish, and a six-year-old girl. She was the first regular cast member added to the program beyond its creators, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, and was selected for her authentic southern accent and her ability to take direction. She left the show in 1937 following her marriage but returned in 1943 and remained with the series until it ended in 1955, even after stepping away from other radio work. Additional programs on which she appeared included The Story of Mary Marlin and Princess Pat Players.

Following her acting career, Harriot became involved in public service. She held several offices in the parent-teacher association while her daughters were in school. Beginning in 1963, she served two terms on the Beverly Hills Board of Education and was president of the board for two years, during which time she helped abolish school dress codes and worked to remove racial barriers for students and teachers in Beverly Hills schools. She campaigned for a bond issue to establish the Beverly Hills Library and was a founder of the Friends of the Beverly Hills Library. She also helped raise funds for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and volunteered with that institution. Other organizations she served included the Community Relations Conference of Southern California, Helping Hand, Service League, and Urban Coalition.

Beginning in 1971, Harriot served on the board of trustees of Pitzer College. After 25 years on the board she was designated a trustee for life, and in 1995 the college awarded her an honorary degree. She was married to Frank Nathan, an insurance executive, with whom she had two daughters. They had been married 62 years at the time of her death on June 10, 2000, in Beverly Hills. She was 89 years old.