Elsie Hillman Chair in Women & Politics
The Elsie Hillman Chair in Women and Politics was established by the The Hillman Foundation, Inc. in 1997 in order to honor the Pittsburgh, PA native and longtime political leader. The Chair serves as an inspiration and role model for the university community and citizens of Pennsylvania.
The purpose of the Chair is to bring nationally renowned political leaders, scholars, and activists to Chatham University and the Pittsburgh community to enrich the experiences of students and educate citizens about the role of women in the political process.
2026-2027 Elsie Hillman Chair in Women and Politics
Thursday, March 18, 2027
Going Inside Politics with Dana Bash
6:00-7:30pm | James Campbell Memorial Chapel
FREE and open to the public
About Dana Bash: Dana Bash is CNN’s chief political correspondent, anchor of Inside Politics, and co-anchor of State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. The award-winning journalist is a key player in the network’s political coverage, conducting high- profile interviews with candidates and frequently serving as a moderator for presidential debates and town hall specials. A shrewd observer of all things Washington, Bash leaves audiences informed and engaged on topics ranging from the national political mood and the implications of important current events to women in politics and issues affecting Jewish communities.
Bash’s first book, America’s Deadliest Election , debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. It tells a story of corruption, extreme polarization, contested election results, coup attempts, and mass violence, but it’s not a contemporary history of the 2020 election and the January 6th insurrection. Through the lens of the 1872 Louisiana gubernatorial election that saw two governors take office, more than 150 Black men killed in the Colfax Massacre for trying to vote, and a SCOTUS ruling that paved the way for 100 years of Jim Crow laws, Bash reveals a little-known history that changed the course of American politics. With many parallels to today’s contentious political environment, the book is a cautionary tale about the fragility of American democracy and what it takes to protect it. Bash's second book, The Elections That Changed the World: Fifteen Pivotal Moments That Shaped How We Live outlines the most influential elections in history from the beginning of civilization to present day. Read more about Dana Bash
Elsie Hillman Chair in Women and Politics Advisory Committee
Mary Ann Eisenreich, Former Director of Governor Corbett’s Southwestern PA Office
Cynthia Shapira, The Shapira Foundation
Alex Taylor, The Hillman Family Foundations
Bonnie VanKirk’81, Chatham University Board of Trustees
Past Recipients
Margaret Hoover & Jennifer Palmieri
2025-2026 Recipients
Abby Phillip
2024-2025 Recipient
Soledad O’Brien
2023-2024 Recipient
Cecile Richards
2022-2023 Recipient
Judy Woodruff
2020-2021 Recipient
Governor Jennifer Granholm & Governor Susana Martinez
2019-2020 Recipients
Maggie Haberman
2018-2019 Recipient
Doris Kearns Goodwin
2017-2018 Recipient
U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski
2016-2017 Recipient
Donna Brazile & Mary Matalin
2015-2016 Recipients
Cokie Roberts
2014-2015 Recipient
Gwen Ifill
2014-2015 Recipient
Olympia J. Snowe
2012-2013 Recipient
Christine Todd Whitman
2011 Recipient
U.S Representative Liz Cheney
2021-2022 Recipient
Elsie Hillman
1925-2015
For more than 20 years, Mrs. Hillman served as a principal member of the Republican National Committee. She served as Republican National Committeewoman from Pennsylvania from 1975 to 1996, and on the Republican State Committee's Leadership Committee from 1974 to 1996. Prior to serving on the State and National party committees, Mrs. Hillman was one of the first women elected to chair an urban county Republican Committee when she served as County Chairman of the Allegheny County Republican Committee from 1967 to 1970. She also chaired several statewide campaigns for a number of Republican leaders including former Senator John Heinz, Governors Dick Thornburgh and Tom Ridge among many others.
Mrs. Hillman became passionate about gender equity in politics when, through her work, she witnessed how few women were active in Pennsylvania politics. To further female representation in statewide politics, Mrs. Hillman established two organizations: The Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics at Chatham University and Run Baby Run.
In 1998, the Hillman Foundation, Inc. and the Maurice Falk Medical Foundation established the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics at Chatham University. In 2003, the Center and the Elsie Hillman Chair in Women and Politics were reconceived and endowed solely by the generosity of the Hillman Foundation. The mission of the Center directly reflects Mrs. Hillman's lifetime engagement in the civic sphere, educating and empowering women of all ages about their political potential and impact.
A few years later in 2006 Mrs. Hillman established Run Baby Run, a non-partisan political action committee (PAC). The mission of the PAC is to help change the face of "Old Boy Politics" in Harrisburg and western Pennsylvania by helping fund and elect women to Pennsylvania's House and Senate. Mrs. Hillman Co-Chaired the PAC because she knew gender equity in the PA State House wouldn't happen by accident, and that it was long overdue.
Mrs. Hillman attended the Ellis School, graduated from the Ethel Walker School, studied at Westminster Choir College, and was awarded nine honorary degrees in recognition of her outstanding contributions to society. The charitable contributions of Mrs. Hillman and her husband, Henry, have had tremendous impact in Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania. Some of the organizations benefiting from their involvement include University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Hillman Cancer Center, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Symphony Society, the Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, the White House Endowment Fund, Shadyside Hospital Foundation, the Urban League of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh.
Photo courtesy of Riverlife
Thank You
A special thank you to our sponsors, whose support makes this program possible.
The Elsie Hillman Chair in Women and Politics Endowment by the Hillman Foundation
Tom and Bonnie VanKirk '81