Francis, Sharon Fairley, 1937-

Sharon Francis was born Sharon Anne Fairly on March 17, 1937 near Seattle, Washington to parents David Fairey and Anne Sandquist Fairley. Francis grew up an avid outdoor enthusiast and early in her life joined a citizen conservation group interested in the Cascade Mountains.

Francis graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1959 with a degree in political science. Her honors research was on the Wilderness Bill. After graduation, Francis moved to Washington to work on legislation for the Wilderness Society. In her spare time, Francis wrote articles for conservation magazines.

In 1961, Francis began working as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall. After working on an ad-hoc basis, Francis was formally detailed to the White House and began working as Staff Assistant for Beautification in 1965 until the end of the Johnson presidency in 1969.

During the Carter presidency, Francis worked as director of public participation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Francis also worked with the New Hampshire-Ohio Acid Rain Partnership and served as Executive Director of the Connecticut River Joint Commissions.