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In Memoriam:
Professor Edward
B. Shils
Dr. Edward B. Shils,
founder of the Wharton
Entrepreneurial Center
(now the Sol C. Snider
Center) and the George
W. Taylor Professor
Emeritus of Entrepreneurial
Management, died on
November 14 at the age
of 89.
Dr. Shils enrolled at
Wharton in 1933 and
earned a B.S. in economics
in 1936. He became a salesman
for RCA Victor but
returned to Penn, earning
an M.A. and Ph.D. in
political science in 1937
and 1940 respectively.
In 1942 he enlisted
in the U.S. Army Corps.
When he left the military in
1946, he became a graduate
lecturer in political science
and chairman of the
social science department
at Community College
of Temple University. He
returned to Penn in 1955
as a lecturer on industrial
relations in the Wharton
School and in 1956 was
appointed tenured associate
professor of industry at
Wharton.
During his lifetime
career at Penn, Dr. Shils
earned six degrees: W'36,
G'37, GR'40, L'86,
GL'90, GRL'97. He was
the former chair of the
management department
at Wharton, The G.W.
Taylor Professor Emeritus
of Entrepreneurial Studies,
director emeritus of the
Wharton Entrepreneurial
Center, and advisor to management
students. He was
teaching Management 248,
"Executive Leadership," this
semester, nearly 20 years
after his official retirement
in 1985.
In 2001, Dr. Shils received
the Penn Alumni
Award of Merit, which cited
his "excellence in teaching,"
"unquenchable thirst for
knowledge," and the fact
that he had touched countless
students and alumni
with his "teaching energy
and enthusiasm, lucid insights,
and wise council."
In addition to his work
at Penn, Dr. Shils was also
a member of the board
of directors of Vishay
Intertechnology, had a
private law practice, and
owned an economic consulting
firm through which
he worked with the City
of Philadelphia and the
state. He was a consultant
in the establishment of
the Pennsylvania Teachers'
Retirement Fund and wrote
reports for the city that
led to the creation of the
Community College of
Philadelphia.
He was the author or
co-author of six books
in the subject areas of
public finance, collective
bargaining, entrepreneurship
and labor-management
relations, including
Industrial Peacemaker:
George W. Taylor's
Contributions to Collective
Bargaining (1979);
Teachers, Administrators
and Collective Bargaining
(1968); Automation and
Industrial Relations (1963);
and Finances and Financial
Administration of the School
District of Philadelphia
(1940), and he was the
author of approximately
100 journal articles or
published studies.
Dr. Shils is survived by
his wife, Shirley (CGS'84,
CGS'90, G'93); daughters,
Ronnie Burak and Nancy
Shils (SAS'77, GSAS'86,
GSE'01); son Barry; and
two grandchildren.
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