The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Bemis, Edward Webster

BEMIS, Edward Webster, American economist and public utility expert: b. Springfield, Mass., 7 April 1860. He was graduated at Amherst College in 1880; received degree of Ph.D. in 1885 at Johns Hopkins University after over three years' advanced work in economics and history; was a pioneer lecturer in the university extension system, 1887-88; professor of economics and history, Vanderbilt University, 1889-92; and associate professor of economics, University of Chicago, 1892-95. In 1897 he was professor of economics and history in the Kansas State Agricultural College. He was superintendent of the city water department of Cleveland, Ohio, 1901-09; deputy commissioner of water supply, gas and electricity of New York, 1910; consulting expert for cities and States on public utilities since 1910. He is now a member of the advisory board, valuation division, Interstate Commerce Commission, city representative on board of supervising engineers, Chicago Traction, and director of valuations of public utilities for the District of Columbia, the city of Dallas and other places. He published ‘Municipal Monopolies’ (1899) and many scientific studies of co-operation, trades unions, immigration, etc., but since 1900 has chiefly confined his writing to technical reports for various public bodies.