Richard McKay was born on January 21, 1995 in Almira, Washington. He attended Whitman College from 1912 to 1916 and graduated cum laude, majoring in math and physics . During his time at Whitman, he won the cross country conference title, was a member of Beta Theta Pi, and was the vice president of the Young Men's Christian Association in 1915. He was also the treasurer and president of his class, worked on the Waiilatpu (the Whitman Yearbook) staff, and was the secretary of the associated student body. Additionally, Whitman was where he met his future wife, Effie Duff. After graduating, McKay went to Columbia University and studied electrical engineering. Partway through studying at Columbia, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Artillery Corps and went overseas to France in 1918. After returning, he completed his degree. McKay and Duff then moved to Spokane in 1920 where McKay joined the Washington Water Power Company and stayed there for over 30 years. In 1951, McKay and Duff moved to Seattle. The pair had two daughters, Joyce and Nancy. McKay died January 18, 1989 in Bellevue, Washington.

Effie Duff was born on November 17, 1893 close to Pendleton, Oregon. She attended Whitman College from 1913 to 1917 and majored in English. At Whitman, Duff was the vice president of the associated student body, secretary of the Young Men's Christain Association, and belonged to the Philomathean Literary Society, as well as a local group called Beta Sigma. This group later became Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and Duff returned to Whitman after her graduation for initiation into Kappa becoming one of the charter members of the Whitman Kappa chapter. After graduating from Whitman, Duff went on to care for her two daughters and became an active community member in both Spokane and Seattle. She was a Camp Fire Leader, and a volunteer in the local church and school. Duff died on October 6, 1985 in Bellevue, Washington.