Cora Bussey Hillis 1858-1924

Cora Hillis was an early active member of the Club joining in 1887. For many years she chaired the Home and Education committee and the Civics Department. Her first local advocacy work involved a campaign to create a safe public swimming area for children in the Des Moines river which included rental swimwear for children who could not afford their own.

She became involved in the “mothers’ congress” movement after the death of her son in 1893. After attending a national mothers conference in Washington DC she singlehandedly campaigned to bring the next national conference to Des Moines. In 1900 she became the first president of the Iowa Congress of Mothers and advocated for social, legal, and political changes that would benefit children and families and she was instrumental in the passage of Iowa’s first juvenile delinquency law.

In 1909 she and her Club Civic committee challenged the Des Moines City Council to develop a comprehensive city plan. When the council hesitated to spend the money, Hillis raised the funds to hire Charles Mumford Robinson, a Chicago architect, to develop the plan. She persuaded three of the five council people to support the plan but two would not commit. When asked Councilman MacVicar “stuck a handkerchief in his mouth and “ducked” slamming the door behind him as soon as the subject was mentioned.” He apologized at the next council meeting.

Later that year three copies of the Robinson report were delivered. The original was given to the city along with one copy for the parks department. The other carbon copy was given to Mrs. Hillis. The only remaining copy is in the Club archives.

In addition to her civic activities, Hillis hosted fine arts lectures for the club in her home.

Cora Hillis campaigned for many years to convince Iowa State University to establish a research unit in child development. Together with the Dean of the Graduate College, Hillis worked to convince the State legislature to pass the Child’s Welfare Bill in 1917. The bill established the Institute of Child Behavior and Development.

Hillis was married to Isaac Hillis who was at one time a Des Moines mayor. Clearly they were a very politically active couple. After her death, Hillis Elementary School in Des Moines was named for her.