Ellen Thomas
Encyclopedia
Ellen Thomas is an American activist who has been the primary support person for the vigil
in front of the White House
against nuclear weapon
s for over a decade. She first became involved with the vigil on April 13, 1984. The daughter of a U.S. Marine, Thomas grew up in California and became opposed to nuclear weapons as a child. She was married to William Thomas, who after joining his wife in protest for 27 years, died in January 2009.
Thomas also heads The Proposition One Non-Radioactive Nuclear Review, a traveling multimedia troupe that educates the public on the dangers of a nuclear future. In 1993 she helped coordinate the successful Washington DC ballot initiative for Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion.
Thomas also serves on the Washington Peace Center
's board of directors.
Vigil
A vigil is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance...
in front of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
against nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s for over a decade. She first became involved with the vigil on April 13, 1984. The daughter of a U.S. Marine, Thomas grew up in California and became opposed to nuclear weapons as a child. She was married to William Thomas, who after joining his wife in protest for 27 years, died in January 2009.
Thomas also heads The Proposition One Non-Radioactive Nuclear Review, a traveling multimedia troupe that educates the public on the dangers of a nuclear future. In 1993 she helped coordinate the successful Washington DC ballot initiative for Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion.
Thomas also serves on the Washington Peace Center
Washington Peace Center
The Washington Peace Center grew from The Vigil to Stop Biological Weapons at Fort Detrick, which was maintained in Frederick, Maryland from 1959 through 1961. In 1961 vigil coordinator Larry Scott and other vigilers moved to the nation’s capital to start the Washington Peace Action Center...
's board of directors.