Livonia Ruth Kay was born in Watseka, Illinois, on October 2, 1867. After attending Watseka High School, Danville Seminary, and the Northwestern University Academy, she entered Northwestern University in 1887. She graduated from the College of Liberal Arts (now WCAS) in 1891. At Northwestern, Kay was a member of the Ossoli literary society and Gamma Phi Beta sorority. After graduation, she worked in the law offices of her father and brother in Watseka, Illinois. Her nephew, Wilson S. Kay, graduated from the Northwestern University School of Law in 1912.
From the guide to the Livonia Ruth Kay (1867-1947) Class Album, 1891, (Northwestern University Archives)