The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Brown, Elmer Ellsworth

BROWN, Elmer Ellsworth, American educator: b. Kiantone, Chautauqua County, N. Y., 28 Aug. 1861. He was graduated at the Illinois State Normal University 1881, and at the University of Michigan, A.B., 1889, and made use of the intervening time in earning the means for his university course by teaching public schools in Belvidere, Ill. He was elected association State secretary for Illinois of the Y. M. C. A. and served in that capacity, 1884-87; was principal of the high school, Jackson, Mich., 1890-91; acting assistant professor of science and art of teaching at Ann Arbor, 1891-92; associate professor of a similar chair in the University of California, 1892-93; full professor, 1893-1906, and honorary professor from 1 July 1906, when he was appointed United States Commissioner of Education to succeed William T. Harris, deceased, and thus became head of the Bureau of Education in the Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C. Became chancellor of New York University in 1911. He visited Europe (1889) to pursue a post-graduate course in pedagogy at the University of Halle, Wittenberg, Germany, receiving the degree of Ph.D. in 1890. His honorary degrees are Columbia, LL.D. (1907) and Wesleyan, LL.D. (1909). He was elected member of the National Council of Education and served as president, 1905-07. He was also made fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science and vice-president of the section of education in 1907. Among his contributions to pedagogic literature are ‘The Making of our Middle Schools’ (1903); ‘Origin of American State Universities’ (1905); ‘Government by Influence and other Addresses’ (1909); ‘An Efficient Organization and Enlarged Scope for the Bureau of Education’ (1910). He has also published in pamphlet form many articles written for magazines.