Ellen Banta

Ellen Lee Pleasants, born March 7, 1866 in Virginia, was affectionately known as "Nellie," and was the wife of George Banta, insurance agent, and (later) publisher.  Based in Madison, George frequently travelled to Menasha on business.  But upon meeting Nellie, he moved permanently to our city and they married in June of 1886. 

It was not until 1901 that Mr. Banta decided to make a business of his printing hobby. In that year the George Banta Printing Company was incorporated, with a capital of $4,000.  But George, who suffered from ill health, essentially had to relinquish control of his firm from 1904 to 1911 to tend to his health in Arizona and other environs upon the advice of his doctor. Meanwhile, Nellie remained in Menasha and ran the day-to-day operations.  Her deep involvement in the firm in its early years was, in no small measure, a significant factor in carrying the business through the lean years and contributed to its evolution into a multimillion dollar corporation.

Upon George Banta's death in 1935, Nellie assumed the presidency until her own death in 1951.

(A side note, it was Ellen's older sister, Luci Lee who was convinced Elisha D. Smith to form a public library in Menasha and became its first librarian.)