Ellwood Chappell Perisho Biography


	This biography appears on pages 767-768 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				ELLWOOD CHAPPELL PERISHO. 

	Ellwood Chappell Perisho, president of the South Dakota State 
College and eminent as an educator, author, scientist, institute worker 
and lecturer, was born in Westfield, Indiana, a son of Joshua M. and 
Lydia Anna (Chappell) Perisho. His early life was spent upon a farm in 
Hamilton county, Indiana, where he made his home until entering upon 
the active work of teaching. In early youth he attended the country 
schools near his father's residence and afterward continued his studies 
in a graded school and an academy until he had completed work 
equivalent to a regular high-school course. He was then admitted to 
Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where he spent four years, and 
won the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1887. Two or three years later his 
alma mater conferred upon him the Master of Arts degree. For more than 
two years, or from 1893 until 1895, he gave his time to post-graduate 
work in the University of Chicago, specializing in the department of 
geology. He received a fellowship in the university and was a part of 
the time an assistant to Professor Chamberlain in field work for the 
United States geological survey. 

	Soon after his graduation from Earlham College Dr. Perisho 
accepted a position as proctor in Guilford College of North Carolina. 
After the first year he was given a professorship and remained in that 
institution for five years. While working in the department of geology 
at the University of Chicago he was elected professor of geology in the 
State School at Platteville, Wisconsin, which position he filled 
acceptably until 1903. At that date he was elected professor of geology 
of the University of South Dakota and also state geologist and in 1907 
he was made dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, continuing in 
those positions until he resigned to accept the presidency of the State 
College at Brookings. In this connection he has done splendid work, 
largely furthering the interests of the school by his progressive 
methods, his practical ideas and his high ideals. 

	In the educational field his advancement has been rapid and his 
recognized ability has won for him high honors. He is now a fellow of 
the American Association for the Advancement of Science and in 1913 his 
alma mater conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL. D. For some 
years, or since 1911, he has been president of the South Dakota 
Conservation and Development Congress. He has, indeed, made a close 
study of the natural resources of the state and the best methods of 
their utilization. He was president of the State Educational 
Association during the years 1912-13 and his expert knowledge of 
teaching methods has constituted an inspiration to many who walk in the 
same professional lines. For a number of years past he has represented 
South Dakota at important national meetings like the Conservation 
Congress of America, the International Irrigation Congress, the 
American Mining Congress, the Deep Waterway Congress and others of like 
breadth of purpose. At the present time he holds membership in the 
Interstate Irrigation Commission. Because of his recognized ability and 
his geological explorations his name appears among the published list 
of American Men of Science and also in Who's Who in America. As a 
contributor to literature his name has also become widely known, for he 
has written a number of scientific articles involving the erosion 
history of southwest Wisconsin, the lead and zinc deposits of Wisconsin 
and a number of geological articles upon South Dakota. Most of these 
have been published in state survey reports and their accuracy and 
breadth constitute them most valuable documents. Dr. Perisho was also 
the co-author with S. S. Visher of a geography supplement for South 
Dakota, published by the Rand-McNally Company. 

	He is equally well known in the lecture field and has been 
conductor of teachers, institutes. He conducted the institute at 
Vermillion for ten successive years and lectured for ten consecutive 
years in the large teachers' institute held at Sioux Falls. The demand 
for his services in South Dakota alone has always been two or three 
times as much as he could fill and during recent years he has had many 
calls to do institute work in other states' especially in Pennsylvania, 
Indiana, Nebraska and Montana. He is one of the few men west of the 
Mississippi river who have been called to lecture before large meetings 
of teachers in the east and is the only one from the state of 'South 
Dakota. In the summer of 1915 he devoted four weeks to Chautauqua 
lectures with engagements in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio. He 
delivered the opening lecture before the Chautauqua Association of 
Columbus Junction, Iowa, on the subject "The American Congress" and he 
delivered ten other addresses in that and other states during the same 
month. In this connection he has been spoken of as "genial, charitable, 
manly . . . an attractive personality, a great thinker, a gifted 
speaker." The demand of his time should he answer all the calls he has 
for public addresses would make any other work practically impossible 
and the invitations received are many times greater than he can 
possibly fill. For the last three or four years he has spent a few days 
each year addressing the large educational associations in the state of 
Pennsylvania and there is great demand upon his time for commencement 
addresses not only from South Dakota but from Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, 
etc. The field of his activities has been constantly broadening. 
Association with him means expansion and elevation and he is usually 
found in the more important gatherings where men are met for the 
discussion of vital and significant themes and problems.