Edward C. Elliott

Edward Charles Elliott (December 21, 1874 – June 16, 1960) was an American educational researcher and administrator. He was the chancellor of the public university system of Montana from 1916 to 1922 and the president of Purdue University from 1922 to 1945.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Elliott grew up in North Platte, Nebraska, and studied chemistry at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he received his Bachelor of Science (1895) and Master of Arts (1897) degrees. He was hired as a high school science teacher in Leadville, Colorado, and became that city's superintendent after one year. As superintendent, Elliott wrote formal rules for certifying and paying the teachers. Leadville opened its first four-year high school under Elliott's leadership.

In 1903, Elliott accepted a fellowship at Teachers College, Columbia University. His doctoral dissertation was among the first works to apply statistics to the study of school administration. Elliott continued his research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and devised a unique scale to rate teachers' merit and competency. In a series of studies with Daniel Starch, Elliott showed that a student's assignment can receive a wide variety of grades depending on the teacher and the school. He also participated in commissions that carried out early school surveys of Boise, New York City, Vermont and Portland, Oregon.

As director of Wisconsin's committees for accrediting schools and training teachers, he raised the requirements for obtaining a teacher's certification, although most of his initiatives were undone after he left the university. One longer-lasting program of Elliott's committees was the establishment of Wisconsin High School, where the university could observe new teachers.

Elliott was a charter member of the American Association of University Professors. He served on its Committee on Academic Freedom for a few months before moving to Montana.

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