Hillis, Cora Bussey, 1858-1924.

Tireless advocate for child development research and child welfare. Cora Bussey (daughter of Iowa Civil War general Cyrus Bussey) was born in Bloomfield, Iowa but moved to New Orleans with her family soon after the Civil War. In 1880 she married Isaac Lea Hillis, moving to Des Moines in 1883 where he served a term as the city's mayor. Despite suffering numerous personal tragedies (the deaths of her sister, mother and 3 of her 5 children) and bouts of ill health Cora undertook numerous campaigns aimed at improving the lives of children. She was particularly passionate about the establishment of a research center to study child development and the creation of an Iowa juvenile justice and court system. Her perseverance and vision culminated in the establishment of the Iowa Child Welfare Research Station at the University of Iowa (directed by Bird Baldwin) and the passage in 1904 Juvenile Court Law in Iowa. In addition to these successes Cora Hillis was one of the incorporators of the Des Moines Women's Club; organized the Iowa Congress of Mothers; was instrumental in bringing the 4th annual conference of the National Congress of Mothers to Des Moines in 1900; helped start the Better Baby Movement; played a major role in the introduction in the state legislature of the Vital Statistics Bill; organized the Iowa Child Welfare Association; promoted improvements in the public schools and education system; was a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines; and served on President Roosevelt's Country Life Commission.