Nellie's early life had not prepared her for politics. She spent her childhood in St. Joseph, Missouri where she was born on November 29, 1876. She attended a two-year teacher's college in Omaha, Nebraska, earning her kindergarten instruction credentials. Nellie's professional life had just begun when she met William Bradford Ross, a young lawyer. The couple relocated to Cheyenne, Wyoming in time for their wedding in 1902. Nellie and William were parents to three lively sons, while a fourth son tragically died in infancy.

William Ross was an active young attorney and Democratic Party activist. He ran for office, but could not get elected in a Republican state. Suddenly, in 1922, William Ross surprised everyone by winning the governorship by appealing to progressive-minded voters from both political parties. Nellie and her family had barely adjusted to this dramatic change of lifestyle, when William died of appendicitis in October, 1924. With only one month before the general election, party leaders named Nellie as their nominee to run for the popular governor's vacant seat.

Nellie Tayloe Ross had little previous political experience, and did not campaign for the office. "My candidacy is in the hands of my friends," she declared. Her dignified and honest manner served her well in the race against a Republican lawyer with ties to the unpopular, scandal-ridden oil industry of Wyoming. Some supporters emphasized the novelty of electing the nation's first woman governor in the first state where women could vote. But Nellie preferred to run on the strength of her own character, and her husband's record. Ross was elected by over 8,000 votes on November 4, 1924, and sworn in on January 5, 1925.

Ross' first speech as governor called for tax cuts, government assistance for poor farmers, banking reform, and laws protecting children, women workers, and miners. She argued that Wyoming should ratify a pending federal amendment prohibiting child labor. And, she advocated the strengthening of Prohibition laws. Although her programs seemed to have little chance of passing in a Republican-led legislature, many of them were approved in some form.

Journalists and politicians often visited Nellie in the governor's office, curious about how a woman in the "backwaters" of Wyoming could possibly be an effective chief executive. Her gracious but business-like style demanded respect even from the most dubious observers. Ross used her energy on being a good governor, rather than on the politics of campaigning. As a result, she was narrowly defeated for a second term in 1926. The issue of her gender also entered the campaign. Ross's opponents falsely claimed she had been just a figurehead, and played upon the idea that a man might do a better job as governor. Although she lost the governorship, she served several terms in the Wyoming state legislature.

The Democratic Party offered Ross a new outlet for her political talents. For the next few years she mobilized women voters in the party as vice-chairwoman for the Democratic National Committee. She worked closely with Eleanor Roosevelt in the unsuccessful presidential campaign of Alfred E. Smith, then later campaigned nationally for Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When FDR was elected in 1932, Ross became one of many women who were appointed to cabinet posts for the first time. She was appointed Director of the United States Mint in 1933. She proved her management prowess in this demanding post, overseeing the automation of the Mint's production process, and dramatically reducing the expenses of operation. She served until 1952.

Nellie Tayloe Ross lived out the rest of her years in Washington, D. C., often speaking first hand of her rich experiences as a successful woman political leader. She was a dedicated advocate of women's participation in politics and government until her death in December, 1977.