Ethan Allen Hitchcock Shepley (May 3, 1896 – June 21, 1975) was the chancellor of

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

from 1953 until 1961.

Early years

Ethan Allen Hitchcock Shepley, a descendant of early American revolutionary Ethan Allen, was born in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

in 1896. His father and grandfather were both graduates of Washington University in St. Louis. Shepley earned his undergraduate degree at

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

and entered Harvard Law School, but finished his law degree at Washington University in St. Louis in 1922. He practiced law in St. Louis and became active in state politics. After stepping down as chancellor, he was the Republican Party's candidate for governor in 1964.

Washington University

Shepley became chancellor in 1953, the first alumnus to hold the position. He oversaw the transition of the university from a "streetcar college" for local students to a national university with a majority of its students from outside the region. A major fund raising drive led to a new round of construction, including the John M. Olin Library, Urbauer Hall for engineering, Busch Laboratory for biology, and Steinberg Hall for the Gallery of Arts, as well as several new dormitories on the South 40.

External links

Washington University in St. Louis

at Washington University in St. Louis 1896 births 1975 deaths Yale University alumni Harvard Law School alumni Chancellors of Washington University in St. Louis Missouri Republicans Washington University in St. Louis alumni Washington University School of Law alumni Washington University in St. Louis faculty {{US-academic-administrator-stub