Greensfelder-Elam Award

Who Were Greensfelder and Elam?

Olive Greensfelder, born in 1896, was a charter member of the League. She served for many years as a board member of the Chicago and Cook County League boards. Her special interest was in child welfare, and shortly before her death at the age of 84, she was still testifying at the City Council in favor of increased funding for day care centers. She also served on the Illinois Child Welfare Commission. Following Olive’s death, the Board voted to create the Greensfelder Award, which was first awarded in 1981.

Elinor Elam was the second recipient of the Greensfelder Award in 1982. She had served in a number of Board roles, including as President from 1972-1977, the first person to serve multiple terms. Past recipient Margaret Herring recalls that Elinor regularly observed the City Council and Committees, and she knew quite a bit about the city budget and finances, as well as federal programs that provided support to the city. Jan Flapan, another past recipient, remembers that one year Elinor found a $1 million error in the budget and alerted the administration of Harold Washington. They were so grateful, Jan reports, that the administration hand-delivered a copy of the proposed budget the next year to Elinor at the League office. Following Elinor’s death in the early 1990’s, the Board voted to add Elinor’s name, and it became the Greensfelder-Elam Award.