Wheaton Wire

Issue date: 3/28/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Photo courtesy of Gebbie archives Professor Heb Ellison, seen here in a 1984 photo, has set a tenure-lenth record.

Almost every Wheaton student is familiar with the Major Connections events that occur frequently on campus. Three weeks ago, however, Wheaton hosted a Chemistry Major Connections event that also celebrated the department's chair and one of the college's most dedicated professors: Dr. Herbert Ellison.

Ellison's 47-year career at Wheaton, which will conclude with his retirement this semester, has set a new faculty longevity record, researchers in the Gebbie Archives told The Wire after an investigation. The record was previously held by English Professor Edwin Briggs-Eng, who retired in 1997, also after 47 years. Briggs-Eng, however, taught part time after 1995, thus giving Ellison the edge.

On Saturday, March 3, faculty, staff, students, and alumnae/i gathered in Hindle Auditorium for the Herb Ellison Research Symposium, which honored Ellison's teaching and research at Wheaton.

Before a large crowd, Provost Molly Easo-Smith, college historian Paul Helmreich, and numerous alumnae/i all commended Ellison's commitment to the Wheaton community.

Helmreich, who has known Ellison since the 1960s, described how Wheaton has changed since Ellison began teaching at the college in 1960. But one thing had not changed, Helmreich said - Ellison's importance to Wheaton. He recalled Ellison's year-long service as acting dean of students and his one-year stint as acting provost.

"All we need is for President Crutcher and the Board of Trustees to agree to make it a triple play," Helmreich joked, referring to the college presidency, the only one of the top three administrative positions at Wheaton that Ellison has not occupied.

Further evidence of Ellison's importance, Helmreich said, was his advocacy for the construction of a new science center at the end of the 1960s. Ellison served as the Chemistry Department's representative on the building advisory committee, and today he is working on the plans for another new science center.

Easo-Smith echoed Helmreich's theme.

"Herb exemplifies, I think, what it means to teach at Wheaton in the way that attention is paid to students," she said.

Ellison's former students agreed, as well.

"He is a legend at Wheaton College," said Anastasia Pano '02, who double-majored in Chemistry and Biochemistry and did her honors thesis work with Ellison. "I am proud and privileged to count him as one of our own and as a mentor."

Vanos credited Ellison for teaching her the techniques that she would need in her work as a scientist at Boston Scientific, as North American Physical Testing Manager at Millipore, and in her current role as a graduate student at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

"I learned [from Ellison] from day one to start peeling away the layers, to start digging in," she said.

Stefan R. Lukow recalled late-night review sessions and dinner with his entire class at Ellison's home. It was gestures such as this, Lukow explained, that left him "blown away" by his professor.

During a brief intermission, some of Ellison's current students presented posters in the lobby. A reception and dinner in Emerson followed.

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