Ruth Ellis – Entrepreneur, activist, and community organizer, born in Illinois at the turn of the last century in 1899, Ellis lived to the age of 101, and with many adventures in between. She attended the Michigan Womyn’s Festival for many years, loved to dance and even turned her own home into an early club, “The Gay Spot,” supportive of young people and others seeking community.

She was also notably the first woman in the state of Michigan to own a print shop, founded in the 1940’s with her life and business partner, Babe Franklin. The shop name boldly held both their names: “Ellis & Franklin Printing Co.“

Ellis was celebrated in the film Living With Pride: Ruth C. Ellis @ 100. She became known in the popular press by a unique, sensationalist title: “The world’s oldest living lesbian.”

In Detroit, the Ruth Ellis Center continues her expansive legacy, as a social services hub for LGBTQ youth, “providing trauma-informed services for lesbian, gay, bi-attractional, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth, and young adults, with an emphasis on young people of color.”