Ellen Malcolm

Ellen R. Malcolm (born February 2, 1947) is an American activist with a long career in American politics, particularly in political fundraising. She founded EMILY's List in 1985 and served as its president until 2010. Early life Malcolm's great-grandfather is A. Ward Ford, an IBM founder. Malcolm grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, the daughter of parents who met while working in the sales department at IBM. After her father died when she was 8 months old, she became the heir to an IBM fortune, which she was to inherit at age 21. Malcolm attended Montclair Kimberley Academy, graduating in the class of 1965. Upon entering Hollins College, an all women's school, in 1965 Malcolm says she was "apolitical" and didn't even realize the country was at war. She went to work for the campaign of Eugene McCarthy in 1968. McCarthy was a democratic and anti-war senator for the state of Minnesota. After he won the popular vote in the Democratic presidential primary, Malcolm was eager to become more involved in politics. Malcolm cites the Vietnam War, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the riots that followed, the assassination of Robert Kennedy and the counterculture of the 60's as the factors that led to her political awakening. Though both of her parents, and much of her community was Republican, Malcolm says the turmoil of the time was shocking, and she felt compelled to help make a change. In the summer of 1968 she began volunteering at the Manpower Development Program in Newark. After graduating from Hollins College in 1969, she worked for Common Cause in the 1970s. Political activism Malcolm began working for Common Cause in the very early stages of the organization. She was charged with overseeing a number of volunteers who were putting pressure on representatives to end the Vietnam War. Malcolm credits her time at Common Cause with teaching her the "nuts and bolts" of campaigning.