Jim Ellis (King County activist)

Jim Ellis
Born
James Reed Ellis

August 5, 1921
Oakland, California, U.S.
DiedOctober 21, 2019(2019-10-21) (aged 98)
Bellevue, Washington, U.S.
Alma materYale University
University of Chicago
University of Washington
OccupationLawyer
Years active1952–2000s
Known forCivil activism
SpouseMary Lou Earling (m. 1944–1983)

James Reed "Jim" Ellis (August 5, 1921 – October 25, 2019) was a municipal bond lawyer[1] and civic activist based in King County, Washington. Although he never sought or held elective office, at the time of his death the Seattle Times described him as "one of [Washington's] most visionary and successful civic leaders."[2] Among the many projects for which he was a key leader were cleaning up Lake Washington, establishing King County Metro (the county's public transit system), and a series of ballot initiatives known collectively as Forward Thrust; he also founded the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.[3] He was also a key proponent of lidding Interstate 5 to create Freeway Park (now officially Jim Ellis Freeway Park) and the adjacent Washington State Convention Center (now Seattle Convention Center).[3]

  1. ^ Cassandra, Tate (July 5, 2006). "Ellis, James (Jim) Reed (1921-2019)". HistoryLink. Retrieved June 1, 2002.
  2. ^ The Seattle Times editorial board (October 27, 2019). "Editorial". Seattle Times. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Baruchman, Michelle (October 27, 2019). "Jim Ellis shaped civic life without ever holding office". Seattle Times. Retrieved May 31, 2022.