Nancy Walker Bush Ellis

Nancy Walker Bush Ellis (born February 4, 1926 in Milton, Massachusetts) is the only sister of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and aunt of former President George W. Bush and the former Governor of Florida John Ellis "Jeb" Bush. Her parents were Prescott Sheldon Bush (1895–1972) and Dorothy Walker (1901–1992). Media consultant John Prescott Ellis is one of her four children. She is widowed and lives in Boston.^[1]

Biography

She graduated from Vassar College in 1946. On October 26, 1946, at St. Paul's Church, in Greenwich, Connecticut, Nancy Bush married Alexander B. Ellis II (1922–1989), an executive with insurance firm Fairfield & Ellis (which merged into Corroon & Black,^[2] now a part of Willis Group Holdings Ltd.). Wedding guests included James Buckley, John V. Lindsay, John Chafee and Nancy's brother George;^[3] Office of Strategic Services agent William B. Macomber, Jr. was best man.^[4] She had weekly lunches with her nephew George W. Bush while he attended Harvard School of Business.^[5]

Nancy and Alexander Ellis had a daughter Nancy and three sons, Alexander, John and Josiah.^[6]

Political activities

Although she had been a Liberal Democrat and an environmentalist who actively fundraised for the NAACP and co-chaired the New England section of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund,^[7] she joined the Republican Party in 1988 when her brother ran for the presidency.^[8] In September 2004 she visited London, Paris^[5] and Frankfurt^[1] on behalf of Republicans Abroad in an effort to encourage United States Republicans living in Europe to register and vote for that year's general election.^[9]

Volunteer and charitable activities

Nancy Bush-Ellis has long volunteered with the Boston United South End Settlement House, of which she is an honorary director.^[10] She has also volunteered with the New England Medical Center,^[11] the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New England Conservatory of Music^[12]

As a board member of the Massachusetts Audubon Society,^[7] a group that has been critical of the Bush administration's widespread encouragement of industry self-regulation,^[13] Ellis led fundraising efforts^[7] to establish Belize's Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area^[14] and the environmental conservation program Programme for Belize.^[14] She is also a member of the nongovernmental organization Pact.^[7]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} "Nancy Bush Promotes Voter Regstration," September 23, 2004 press release, accessed 2008-07-15
2. ^ New York Times obituary of Alexander B. Ellis Jr.
3. ^ John Gizzi, "The Spirit of the Springfield Massacre"
4. ^ New York Times Oct 27, 1946 MISS NANCY BUSH BECOMES A BRIDE; She Is Attended by Nine
5. ^ ^{a b} "Nancy Bush Ellis voter registration drive" in Republicans Abroad France Newsletter, Spring 2005, p. 6
6. ^ Bush-Walker-Pierce-Robinson family tree
7. ^ ^{a b c d} Pact Board of Directors biographies, accessed 2008-07-15
8. ^ Kitty Kelley, The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty, Random House, 2004. ISBN 0-385-50324-5
9. ^ Andrea Gerlin, "Gone, but Not Forgotten", Time, October 17, 2004, accessed 2008-06-15
10. ^ United South End Settlements, Board of Directors, accessed 2008-07-15
11. ^ "Former Board Members Reunite" in Tufts Medical Center Floating Hospital for Children Honor Roll of Donors, p. 8
12. ^ New England Conservatory Annual Report, 2005
13. ^ Mass Audubon opposes weakening of the federal Endangered Species Act, August 2004, Massachusetts Audubon Society, accessed 2008-07-15
14. ^ ^{a b} Belize & Tikal, January 2006, Massachusetts Audubon Society, accessed 2008-07-15

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Name	Ellis, Nancy Bush
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Date of birth	1926-02-04
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