Ellen J. Peterson was involved in campus activities as early as her student days, serving as a member of the Finance Committee of the Young Women’s Christian Association (Y.W.C.A.) for the 1906-1907 academic year and participating in athletic activities like basketball. She was recognized as a strong leader and an energetic, active Christian worker during her college years. Dean Runnals, who knew her at Colby, remembered her as especially active in Christian work, suggesting she played a leading role within the Young Women’s Christian Association (Y.W.C.A.) and similar student organizations dedicated to religious and social causes.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/colbyecho/948
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/oracle/110
Peterson also contributed to the cultural and musical life of the college; for instance, she performed in college productions such as the cantata “Ruth,” where she took the role of Orpah in a performance organized under the Y.W.C.A. and Y.M.C.A., which included nearly fifty students and aimed to benefit delegates to prominent student conferences.
