Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam is an American conservationist

Conservationist

Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...

 whom in 2010 won the second highest civilian award, the Presidential Citizens Medal

Presidential Citizens Medal

The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second highest civilian award in the United States, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is awarded by the President of the United States, and may be given posthumously....

, and was the first conservationist to have ever won the honor.
She founded the Student Conservation Association

Student Conservation Association

The Student Conservation Association is a non-profit group in the United States whose mission is to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of our environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land through service...

 in 1957 and served as its President until 1990. Ms. Putnam graduated from Miss Porter's School

Miss Porter's School

Miss Porter's School, sometimes simply referred to as Porter's or Farmington, is a private college preparatory school for girls located in Farmington, Connecticut.- History :...

 in 1952 and from Vassar

Vassar College

Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...

 in 1955. She currently resides in Shaftsbury, Vermont

Shaftsbury, Vermont

Shaftsbury is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,767 at the 2000 census. The town was chartered on August 20, 1761...

, and the Vermont legislature passed act R-107 in her honor.