Edward Benjamin Shils
Encyclopedia
Edward Benjamin Shils was a noted and innovative management
professor, who received six degrees from the University of Pennsylvania
, an institution at which he taught for over five decades. Shils most significant contribution to Penn was the 1973 founding of the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Center at Penn's Wharton School of Business. While entrepreneurship
is widely accepted as an academic discipline today, the Center was the first of its kind in the world. Shils served as the Center's director until 1986.
Shils described the impetus in founding the center as, "I felt the way to get students interested in creating things was to hear from people who had been successful creating them." "I found that most of these huge corporation
s had all the seeds of bureaucracy
in them. They really wanted 'me too' guys and gals rather than people who would challenge what they were doing. Today, with what we've been teaching in our program, we've begun to turn the big corporations around."
Shils had earned six degrees at Penn (W '36, G '37, GR '40, L '86, GL '90, GRL '97). The first three degrees (Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate) were all earned in the normal course. However, after a long career as a professor and chair of the management department at Wharton and founding the Entrepreneurial Center, Shils returned to law school
and received his law degree and two other degrees from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
. He subsequently passed the Pennsylvania Bar Exam and operated a law practice from his Center City
consulting office.
For 50 years, Shils served as Executive Director of the Dental Manufacturers of America and the Dental Dealers of America. After his death, the dental industry established the Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Education Fund in his honor.
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
professor, who received six degrees from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, an institution at which he taught for over five decades. Shils most significant contribution to Penn was the 1973 founding of the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Center at Penn's Wharton School of Business. While entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
is widely accepted as an academic discipline today, the Center was the first of its kind in the world. Shils served as the Center's director until 1986.
Shils described the impetus in founding the center as, "I felt the way to get students interested in creating things was to hear from people who had been successful creating them." "I found that most of these huge corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s had all the seeds of bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
in them. They really wanted 'me too' guys and gals rather than people who would challenge what they were doing. Today, with what we've been teaching in our program, we've begun to turn the big corporations around."
Shils had earned six degrees at Penn (W '36, G '37, GR '40, L '86, GL '90, GRL '97). The first three degrees (Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate) were all earned in the normal course. However, after a long career as a professor and chair of the management department at Wharton and founding the Entrepreneurial Center, Shils returned to law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
and received his law degree and two other degrees from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
. He subsequently passed the Pennsylvania Bar Exam and operated a law practice from his Center City
Center City, Philadelphia
Center City, or Downtown Philadelphia includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2005, its population of over 88,000 made it the third most populous downtown in the United States, after New York City's and Chicago's...
consulting office.
For 50 years, Shils served as Executive Director of the Dental Manufacturers of America and the Dental Dealers of America. After his death, the dental industry established the Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Education Fund in his honor.