Howard Ellis was born in Toledo, Ohio. He took his
bachelor's degree in music education from Albion
College and the Masters and Doctoral degrees from The
University of Michigan. He taught at the Shenandoah
Conservatory, Grinnell College, Kentucky Wesleyan
College, and at Wichita State University. He was
director of the summer choir at WSU and became chair
of the music education department in 1955. He was
director of the School of Music, and served as assistant
dean and associate dean of the College of Fine Arts.