The third child of Sam and Emma Wilcox, Elise was formally schooled at Punahou School and Wellesley College with a degree in education. She served as Hawaii's first woman in the Territorial Senate serving from 1932 to 1940 where she chaired the Education Committee. As was true with her grandparents and her mother, "Miss Elsie" knew education to be very important and Christian charity to be a virtue. She was a 1914 founding member of the Kauai Historical Society, serving as its Secretary throughout her life. For her work in education, the new elementary school in Lihue was named Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary School in her memory.