Hello I'm Michael Bartley at the WQED Elsie Hilliard Hillman Conference Center.

She was more than just an advocate for this station.

She started as a volunteer when WQED first went on the air in 1954.

Elsie served for years as our board chair here at WQED and continued on for years.

She even played Mrs.

Claus at many of our company Christmas parties.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Elsie often over the years.

The following program includes one of her last interviews.

It's our pleasure to share it with you now, as we honor the memory of Elsie Hillman.

A prominent Pittsburgh name.

Hillman.

Synonymous with wealth, power, generosity, philanthropy.

Put a first name with it.

But Elsie's impac extends far beyond our campus.

The name Elsie Hillman, it ha national political prominence.

It's not a surpris because Elsie Hillman is such a remarkable woman and a powerful force getting things done locally, state wide, nationally, from presidents to Joe Pittsburgh.

Elsie Hillman is praised for bringing people together to explore common ground to get things done.

Elsie we owe you not only our thanks, but our attention, because you are clearl the definition of a true friend.

Best wishes to thank not just our sitting governor.

Two former governors were here, too, to salute Elsie's unique talent, historic accomplishments and never say it can't be done.

The five scariest words in the world I've ever heard.

I've heard from Elsie, honey.

I have an idea.

Only three political giants have been the subjects of an extensive research case study project at the University of Pittsburgh.

The late Senator John Heinz, former governor Dick Thornburgh and now Elsie Hillman.

That was the reason for getting 500 of Elsie's closest friends together to come and celebrate the launch of this publication with us.

The publication, called Never a Spectator The Political Life of Elsie Hillman.

It will be a lasting research lesson for generations of students on how a woman from Pittsburgh brought Democrats and Republicans and all their faithful together to effect groundbreaking, bold change and civil rights women's rights and other issues, while at the same time earning respect, friendship and loyalty from all sides.

They call that the Elsie Way.

Wow.

There are a couple of things I am.

I just want you to know tha after all of this, I really feel a little bit speechless.

But I wish I had more make up on.

Good evening.

I'm Michael Bartley on the University of Pittsburgh campus here in Oakland in the spring of 2012.

This university, along with Democrats Republicans, national and local political leaders and everyday people came together to celebrate the political life of Elsie Hillman.

Why?

Many people say it's because today, politics seems so dominated by ange and division than ever before, with few peopl stepping up to bring compromise and civility.

For six plus decades, Elsie Hillman worked for Common Ground.

No matter how contentious the issue no matter how loud the protests.

As former Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh put it, these days, we could use more.

Elsie Hillman's.

At the event honoring Mrs.

Hillman, so many people came up to me suggesting such a wonderful tribute should be shared with you.

I agreed.

So enjoy.

Elsie is extraordinarily capable, but she really knows how to get things done.

Elsie is inspirational.

Everyone wants to be on her team.

Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg welcomed Elsie's husband Henry.

Her family, friends and fans here at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.

And he framed the unique political life of the honored guest.

Elsie is empathetic.

She has a huge heart and wants others as long as they are committed themselves to have a fair opportunit to share in the American dream.

And Elsie is unfailingly respectful.

A person of strong convictions who nonetheless listens to and learns from those with whom she might initially disagree.

Nordenberg then shared a video produced for the event by the Pitt Institute of Politics and the.

Never a spectator the political life of Elsie Hilliard Hillman.

Our friend Elsie is in good company a case study by the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics.

She joins two other Pennsylvania political giants ever to be studied with such prominence.

The late Senator John Heinz and former governor and U.S.

Attorney General Dick Thornburgh from Joe Pittsburgh to the most influential national political figures in Washington.

All agre that studying the 40 plus year political life of Elsie for generations of students to ponder was long overdue.

Elsie's friend and retiring Republican, the United States Senator Olympia Snowe calls Elsie her active mentor.

Well, it's not a surprise because Elsie Hillman is such a remarkable woman who has contributed so much.

Over many decades.

And I think it speaks to her profound influence, that she has had, in both civic and political life and certainly has made a difference.

This research included more than 40 interviews with Republican Part leaders and elected officials, poring over thousands o documents from Elsie's personal archives, reviewing news accounts and books from more than 150 sources, all generall pointing to Elsie's influence.

Power brokering, Alliance building.

Behind the scenes, the case study identifie Elsie as a skilled social actor.

These are just a few of the identifying social actors skills persuading people they share overriding values, thus uniting them, formin alliances and coalition building trying to do more than is possible to achieve.

Skilled social actors know the excitement action can create, making people feel part of a movement.

Sound familiar?

It's quintessential Elsie and this nearly 20 year old letter, Elsie promoting gay rights at a time when it wasn't very popula in the Pennsylvania state GOP.

Elsie writes Dear Mr.

Allocco, as you know, I agree with you that the Republican Party must be committed to fighting bigotry and discrimination in all of its forms.

Elsie never relented and pursued of her principles and her views that so much.

Elsie, because she has never been a bystander or a passive observer.

Dear Governor Reagan, as a former cochairman of the Pennsylvania Bush campaign, I can hardly be described as objective, but I sincerely believe that George Bush should be your first choice for vice president.

He is an experienced leader with the qualities of loyalty and integrity that people seek today.

The rest was history, and our case study include lots of personal correspondence, often with a national spotlight on Elsie's cherished hometown.

George Bush writes, but I would be remiss if I did not tell you that it did not seem like Pittsburgh without you there at my side.

Warm regards.

Love, George.

And when the vice president ran for the presidency, he and Barbara counted on Elsi Hillman for coalition building.

March 11th, 1988.

Dear Elsie, I so appreciate your thoughtful letter.

After a busy wee through the South and Midwest, I am home for one da and then off again to Illinois.

Our spirits are buoyed by the terrific response on Super Tuesday.

Thanks so much for your words of good cheer.

Warmly.

Bar!

A case study and archival material track Elsie's work on the campaign.

The skilled social acto alliance building the victory.

The handwritten notes from a president.

Henry and Elsie with affection.

And so many thanks.

George Bush again.

Students and the public will also gain from this extensive researc of how this lady from Pittsburgh pushed forward the rights of women and championed the overall cause of minorities and diversity.

Elsie and I certainly shared, you know, a common view that the Republican Party, for example, should be more inclusive and not less inclusive and that it should be tolerant.

The broad diversity of political viewpoints.

Elsie Hillman made it so for her own party and for the local, state and national political arena as a whole.

People gravitate towards her because she's so passionate in her advocacy.

She was a woman ahead of her time.

Current Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, the Institute of Politics Research describe Elsie as a skilled social actor.

The way I would put it is this Elsie Hillman is intelligent.

She's a principled woman with a clear set of goals and a capacity to not only get along with very different people, but to show those people how to get along with each other.

Then a panel discussion wit five of Elsie's closest friends to tell stories, reminisce about the good old days of getting along without political stalemate thanks to moderate powerbroker Elsie Hillman, former Governor Richar Thornburgh, former governor Tom Ridge, former special assistant to President George H.W.

Bush, Ron Kaufman, former state treasurer an Auditor General Barbara Hafer, and CEO of the African-American Chamber of Commerce Doris Carson Williams.

Kaufman remembers back in the 80s, Hillman insisting Republican presidential candidate Bush come to Pittsburgh to talk to union workers.

No one in my life got me fired.

I most more times.

And Elsie Hillman, over the years, I was working for President Bush and, Jim Baker called a bunch of us into Philadelphia just before the, about a month before the primary here in 1980.

I said to Jim about, what's my job?

She said, well, I got a special role for you.

You're going to go over the mountains to Pittsburgh, and there's a crazy lady there.

You got to keep her out of my hair.

So I went over the mountains and through the woods and to the William Penn and met this woman, Elsie Hillman, and changed my life forever.

We're struggling to catch on.

We're about ten, 15 points behind in Pennsylvania.

She said, I know we can win.

She guess what?

Ron We had a really good break.

I said, what's that?

It won the AFL CIO state convention next week in Pittsburgh.

Elsie you crazy.

You'll kill us if we go to that.

No, no, I'm telling you.

And he trusted her to work her magic in Pittsburgh.

And sure enough, George Herbert Walker Bush grew up there and knocked it dead.

Standin ovation went through the crowd, and my job was saf for at least a week and a half.

Elsie knows everyone everywhere.

Her candidate, George Bush went on to beat Ronald Reagan, and that 1980 Pennsylvania Republican primary.

Former Governor Ridge says Hillman taught him to follow through o what you say you're going to do, or Elsie will make sure you follow through.

And so when Elsie walks in, she's not there.

If she doesn't care about you, your issue, and perhaps even more importantly, an outcome.

Want to make a difference?

People ever thought about the families success?

It was nothing that I think Elsie had to overcome.

It created a different platform for her because her desire and Henry's desire to make a difference.

And if Elsie showed up with you in support of your cause, you know she would see you to the very, very end to a successful conclusion.

That Elsie reminds me of th saying, to much who was given, you know, and Elsie is very unselfish about that, bu she's such a woman of courage.

It was always the idea, but the follow through went with the idea.

In the 70s Hillman mentored a young, gutsy politician from the Mon Valley, Barbara Hafer.

She rose to win statewide offices as a Republican.

Hafer is now a Democrat who credits her friend Elsie Hillman for pushing her to achieve against what was at the tim a white male dominated culture.

She remembers one of their very first meetings here in Pittsburgh.

She said, we're going to g to a party at the Duquesne Club, where I had never bee to the Duquesne Club, and so I drove down to Pittsburgh again, parked my car, met Elsie in the lobby, and I started t go ahead of her down the hallway and she said, dearie, dearie we have to go up the back steps.

This is 1979.

And I said, what?

What do you mean with good back step?

She said, just follow m back steps with a white crash.

And and I said, and I had heard that women were not allowed up the main steps.

And I said, Elsie, we can't do that.

She said, follow me, follow me.

I said, I'm not going to do this.

She said, you're goin to do this.

She grabbed my hand.

She said, I said, Elsie, we have to protest this.

We have to picket.

We have to do something.

And she said, dearie, don't worry, this is going to be solved.

I'm whispering to hi every night before we go to bed.

Those restrictions on women eventually changed at the Duquesne Club.

Many who reached national political status, like former governor and U.S.

attorney Dick Thornburgh credit kingmaker Elsie Hillman for working behind the scene for Republicans in this heavily Democratic stronghold after losing a congressional election in the late 60s to Democrat Bill Moorhead.

Thornburgh went on to become U.S.

attorney in Western Pennsylvania, then governor, then U.S.

attorney.

And it all began with a call from, you know, who was going to go.

And I got a call, dearie, how would you like to be the United States attorney for western Pennsylvania?

I said, well, what doe the United States Attorney do?

We quickly solved that.

She put me in touch with the right people.

But I'm the point I'm getting to is that this was a when I said steadfast and relentless.

She embodies those skills when she was your friend and supporter.

It was good for all time and everything.

I accomplished, however meager it might be in public life.

Life goes back to the support and inspiration of that good lady.

God bless you, Elsie.

A standing ovation came as Elsie Hillman accepted the unique honor.

But after all of this, I really feel a little bit speechless knowing that everything she fought for politically and civically and how she pulled it off.

All these archives, letters, records, ups and downs, successes and painful times.

Years of research gathered and archived here at Pitt.

All of it is now available for all to learn from.

It's a legacy preserved, and it almost never happened.

When you were first contacted about this in 2009, you were resistant.

Oh, I was.

Why?

Why?

Because I just, you know, I don't know, I just didn't need the publicity.

I didn't need the the hassle, and I didn't know what it was all about.

Plus the fact that I really didn't understand.

And I still don't understan why my life, my political life, is worthy of a case study.

I just never felt that I wa having that much of an impact, or that I was even noticed that much.

But researchers at the Pitt Institute of Politics, who pored over six decades of Hellman's activism, whether in smoke filled political halls or neighborhood community centers, they finally convinced her otherwise.

Cathy McCaule is the author of the case study Never a Spectator.

It was so much about her personalit that you see through this, and we chose to focus on part of her political life.

There's the other part of it that has to do with how she interacts with Democrats.

Many, many, many times because she believes in in collaboration and working together.

There's her whole civic and philanthropic life.

We chose this element of her life to focus on.

But you also see that she loves people so much, and she affiliates with all sorts of people, all sorts of disparate groups and, and such.

And I think that's not always appreciated so much.

For example how much people in labor unions really respect Elsie Hillman and will do things for her because they've built trus together over all those years.

Terri Miller is the director of the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics.

I think a lot of people, myself included, thought, well, there ever be another Elsie Hillman?

It's a good question.

You know I think, with this case study, what we got to to do is get a historical look at Elsie's life.

And then also by producing the case study.

Now we're able to preserve her legacy.

But in and in preservin that legacy, what we also have the opportunity to do is to educate future leaders in the quality of character and the milking character of Elsie Hillman, because now we get to take her story and share it with generations to come.

And in the sharing of that, hopefully those new Elsie Hillman's will start to reemerge and start to percolate up in our community because we need them.

There's a lot of research materi What's this book about?

It's, a study of a woma who joined the Republican Party to work for the things that she really cared most about tolerance, moderation, civil rights, and how, because of this rare combination of skills that she has.

She was able to be highly effective in promoting and electing, Republicans who were moderates.

But it's also about how whil the whole time she's doing this, the party itself is changing, and the party that she joined that was so moderat became less so over the years.

And at the same time, the polarization in the country, which was actually at a lo point when she joined, widened.

So it, sort of sort of the context, the national context, her within it, and then some bits about her own qualities that, worked for moderation.

Macaulay says the takeaway from the Hillman research and this book is no matter how extreme political parties can become, Hillman leaves a legacy for moderates to continue having an impacting role.

Elsie Hillman calls that spot on.

It's a different world today, I think politically than it was in my time in when I. But I don't know what everybody is doing now.

I just know that some of the results are so rare that.

You know, I hate to admit tha people don't want to sit down, but we we we all had differences at the state level, on the national level.

But we we put them together.

Hillman sees politics as more than just advancing a political view.

She sees it as activism in advancing a community to make life better for everyone.

And locally in Pittsburgh, I say what really good the politics did was lead me into another life in the community.

It taught me things and peopl in places that I probably never, would have gotten to in m just in a pure political sense.

But all of a sudden, that community was so much a part of what I was doing that the politics didn't make any difference.

I mean, you know, it was nice if they were Republican, but if they were voters, they were Democrats, they were independents.

They were people to work with.

They lived here and we all lived together and had to.

It was wonderful.

Do you agree that you were an acute advocate for minorities, women, African-Americans, gay people for those causes at a time when it was gutsy to be going after those issues?

I never thought it was gutsy, though.

I mean, that wasn't gutsy for me.

The fact that I had friends, I mean, I had met peopl along the way in my social life who were gay and people who had HIV problems.

You know, it became very natural for me to try to.

I saw where they were going.

I saw what was happening to the lives and the lives of their friends and other people.

And I thought, you know, this is something we ought to pay attention to.

And then I tried at one time to, turn this little house that I owned on Negley Avenue.

It became known as the Aids House of Shadyside.

Although then I got into I got on the board of the Urba League, but then I got into the Hill House with Anna B. Heldman community center.

I was on the board of that, which was, you know, house to help them.

You know the African-American community and then the Hill House board.

And it just was all natural flow.

But in the course of it, I met some of the ministers.

And and then I had an opportunity to.

Talk with about the ministers politically, about what was going on and what was going on in their churche and with their people and all.

You were never a spectator where you know what that's you know, that's the way it was.

Can I ask you and I I hope this isn't a strange question.

What do you think your legacy is as a, as a political, behind the scenes person?

What do you want?

What do you hope for in politics?

Well, number one, I think government and public servic would be better with more women.

I really believe that Hillman so hopes to influence and empower young women to become active, to ultimately improve a community.

Because Elsie Hillman and her own mentors, like the late civil rights activist and educator Frieda Shapira, took the risks decades ago to embolden women and minorities.

When I come back, I think of some of the first political meetings I attended when I was a committee woman.

I was the one who stayed and dum cups in the ashcan and straightened up.

From dumping ashtrays to spearheading equality in politics and society.

Pennsylvani and the nation benefited greatly because Elsie Hillman was never a spectator.

Like the impossible possible.

Everybody can take a little piece of the action and I wish each one of you the greatest happiness.

I'll have a very difficult time being meek or modest after today, or even a little bit humble.

And I thank you and God bless each one.