When she joined WILPF in 1969, Ellen was the youngest member of the San Jose branch. Now she is nearly the oldest member of the Sacramento branch, and can’t figure out how that happened.

In between, she has served as branch chair, branch newsletter editor, chair of WILPF US Policy Committee, WILPF Western Region newsletter editor, occasional Triennial Congress newsletter editor, Congress Registrar, chair of CongressCommittee, WILPF US Treasurer for ½ a term (finishing an unfinished term), WILPF US Program Chair (finishing another ½ term) and starting in 2024, chair of the WILPF US Nominating Committee (finishing another unfinished term!).

Ellen was born in Chicago, and while in college was involved with the campus chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality. Her greatest admiration was for an artist named Sophie Wessel, who produced silk screen designs for protest signs.

Ellen would think, “Look, Sophie makes these signs, everybody worships her, and she doesn’t have to actually go to the protests, never mind the planning meetings. That’s what I want to be when I grow up.” It hasn’t worked out that way, but it is still her ambition.