Elsie Hillman

Elsie Hillman
Member of the
Republican National Committee
from Pennsylvania
In office
1975 – June 8, 1996
Preceded bySally Stauffer
Succeeded byAnne Anstine
Personal details
Born
Elsie Hilliard

(1925-12-09)December 9, 1925
Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, US
DiedAugust 4, 2015(2015-08-04) (aged 89)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
Resting placeHomewood Cemetery
Political partyRepublican
SpouseHenry Hillman
ChildrenJuliet Lea Hillman Simonds
Audrey Hillman Fisher
William Talbott Hillman
Henry L. Hillman Jr.
Alma materThe Ellis School
Ethel Walker School
Westminster Choir College
Known forphilanthropy

Elsie Hilliard Hillman (December 9, 1925 – August 4, 2015) was a Pittsburgh based philanthropist and a former Republican National Committeewoman. She was the wife of billionaire industrialist Henry Hillman. During her life, Hillman helped to advance the careers of a number of moderate Republican politicians to state and national offices.[1] Among the politicians whose careers she fostered are President George H. W. Bush, Senator John Heinz, and Pennsylvania governors Dick Thornburgh and Tom Ridge.[2]

She worked with Democrats and Republicans on civil rights, women’s rights, and jobs in the Pittsburgh region. Known for her down-to-earth nature and sense of humor, Pittsburghers regularly encountered "Elsie" in her signature headband, as she was active as a philanthropist and civic leader in the city and region.[3]

  1. ^ "Elsie Hillman, Who Bolstered Moderate Republicans, Dies at 89". New York Times. August 5, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  2. ^ McCauley, Kathy (2012). Never A Spectator: The Political Life of Elsie Hillman (PDF). University of Pittsburgh, Institute of Politics. pp. 38, 50, 72, 107. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  3. ^ Perlmutter, Ellen (March 25, 1990). "Elsie: Presidential confidante, power broker, more than just a rich man's wife". Pittsburgh Press Sunday Magazine.