Marilyn Killian was raised in Ironton, Missouri. She
earned the B.S. in Music Education from the University
of Missouri at Columbia, the M.S. in Music Education
from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and
did post-graduate work at the University of Illinois.
Killian taught 24 years with the Wichita public Schools,
and has also taught for Bethel College, Wichita State
University, and Friends University. She is the founding
director of the Wichita Community Children's Choir, and
was flautist with and directed children's choirs for the
Wichita Symphony Orchestra. Killian conducted honors
and state choirs in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado,
Oklahoma, and Texas. She held state and national
offices in KMEA, ACDA, and SAI. She was awarded
the Citation for Outstanding Music Service from the
Kansas Federated Music Club, and she was the first
woman to receive the KsACDA Harry Robert Wilson
Award.