James Reed "Jim" Ellis (b. 1921), a Franklin High School graduate and Seattle lawyer, is widely regarded as one of the most visionary civic activists in King County history. In the late 1950s he spearheaded the clean up of Lake Washington, leading to the creation of the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Metro), which became a regional transportation system. In the 1960s, he led the development of an ambitious plan for public works in King County. Called “Forward Thrust,” the 1968 bond issue funded capital improvements in Seattle, including news parks and trails, fire stations, swimming pools, a domed stadium, an aquarium, a modern zoo, and improved streets. In the 1970s, Ellis worked to win passage of a bond measure to protect farmlands and green belts threatened by development. He also championed the construction (1988) and then expansion (2001) of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. In the 1990s, Ellis spearheaded the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, to preserving the scenic, environmental, and historic qualities of a 100-mile stretch along Interstate 90. By the time he retired as board president in 2001, the Trust had sparked land exchanges and purchases that moved nearly 125,000 acres of land along the I-90 corridor from private to public ownership.

In this image Jim Ellis smiles for the camera at Freeway Park after the presentation of a plaque placed there in his honor, recognizing his role in developing the urban park, which utilizes space over Interstate 5.

Caption information source: "Ellis, James Reed (b. 1921)," by Cassandra Tate, HistoryLink.org Essay 7833.
Caption information source: "The 150 Most Influential People in Seattle/King County History," retrieved from http://old.seattletimes.com/news/local/seattle_history/nominees
Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.