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Proclamation honoring in memoriam Mrs. Elsie Hillman, beloved philanthropist and political activist.
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WHEREAS, Allegheny County Council does hereby honor the life of Mrs. Elsie Hilliard Hillman, a down-to-earth philanthropist and political activist whose lifetime of civic devotion made her a beloved figure in Pittsburgh and beyond; and
WHEREAS, born on December 9, 1925 in Pittsburgh and raised in Fox Chapel, Mrs. Hillman attended The Ellis School, followed by the Ethel Walker School in Connecticut and Westminster Choir College in New Jersey, where she studied piano and voice. In 1945, Mrs. Hillman married billionaire industrialist Henry Hillman; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Hillman first ventured into politics during the Eisenhower administration of the 1950s. In 1967, Mrs. Hillman was elected chair of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County; from 1975 to 1996, she served as chairwoman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party and as a Pennsylvania Committeewoman to the Republican National Committee; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Hillman used the skills and talents of a skilled social actor to launch the careers of a number of prominent Republicans, including U.S. President George H.W. Bush, U.S. Senator John Heinz, PA Governor Dick Thornburgh, and PA Governor Tom Ridge. Mrs. Hillman also worked with Democrats and Republicans alike on issues near to her heart: civil rights, women’s rights, and jobs for people in the Pittsburgh region; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Hillman supported many philanthropic causes, including UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, WQED, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In 2012, the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics created the Elsie Hilliard Hillman Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Public Service to recognize Mrs. Hillman’s lifetime of public service; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Hillman passed from this life on August 4, 2015, at the age of 89. She is survived by her husband, Henry, four children, Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds, Audrey Hillm...
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