Career
He made first ascents of many peaks and routes in the Rocky Mountains, particularly in Colorado, including Lizard Head in the San Juan Mountains, Ellingwood Ridge on Louisiana Plata Peak in the Sawatch Range, and Crestone Needle in the Sangre de Cristo Range. Many mountain features are named for him, on peaks such as Middle Teton, on which Ellingwood made the first ascent, the Ellingwood Ridge of Louisiana Plata Peak, and the Ellingwood Arete ascent of Crestone Needle. The fourteener Ellingwood Point, near Blanca Peak in southern Colorado, is named for him as well.
The brave pioneer of previously unattempted climbs died prematurely at the age of 46.
At that time he was assistant dean at Northwestern University. Ellingwood was a Rhodes Scholar and was a professor of political science at Colorado College.