On September 14, 1932, Arthur Emmett Ellis was born in Grand Rapids (Mich.), the son of Antoinette Ellis. He graduated from Jackson High School in Jackson (Mich.) (1950) and Jackson Junior College (1953). Ellis earned a B.A. in Economics from Mich. State University (1958) and a M.A. in Higher Education from Eastern Mich. University (EMU) (1969). From 1953 to 1956, Ellis served in the U.S. Army. He then worked for Walker Manufacturing Co., 1958-1962. From 1962 to 1968 Ellis worked for the State Legislature, namely the Legislative Audit Commission, 1962-1963, and the Legislative Fiscal Agency, 1963-1968, serving as the agency's first staff director. His career then moved into the field of education. From 1968 to 1970 Ellis worked as the Exec. Dir. of Governmental Relations & University Budgets at EMU. Beginning in Aug. 1970 he served as Vice President for Public Affairs at Central Michigan University (CMU). He was appointed as interim president in 1985 after Pres. Abel resigned. Ellis became the ninth president of CMU in 1986. He turned a $1.9 million university deficit into a modest surplus. During his tenure, student enrollment increased at CMU and the campus entered a new period of physical growth and broke ground for the new IET (Industrial Engineering & Technology) Building, and planned several other buildings. Pres. Ellis retired in 1988. He was later appointed by Gov. John Engler to served as the Director of the Mich. Dept. of Commerce and, afterwards, Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Mich. Dept. of Education. With his wife, Sibyl Marie, Ellis has three children: Mark R., Marcia L., and Marian. (Information from the collection and CMU. Office of the President website.).
From the description of President Arthur Ellis papers, 1970,1989. (Clarke Historical Library). WorldCat record id: 51106209
