Elizabeth Ulman Rowe

Elizabeth "Libby" Ulman Rowe (née Ulman; 1912-March 11, 1991) was the first female commissioner and chair (1961-1968) of the National Capital Planning Commission. A strong supporter of mass transit and height limits for buildings in Washington, D.C., she influenced the capital's urban planning in the late 20th century.

Early life and education Elizabeth Ulman was born in 1912 in Salisbury, Maryland. Soon after, her parents, both from Washington, D.C., moved back to the capital with their three-month-old daughter. The family lived on 19th Street NW.

Ulman attended the Potomac School, an independent day school, and subsequently the Madeira School, a private preparatory school for girls, both then located in Washington, D.C.

Aligned with her husband’s New Deal politics, Rowe supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt's campaigns and administration. Before her marriage, she volunteered for his 1932 and 1936 presidential campaigns, writing supporters' speeches for mining communities.

She soon developed a reputation for opposing highways, preserving neighborhoods, supporting a subway system, and protecting low-income residents from disruptive urban renewal projects. Washington media and politicians openly criticized her.