Longtime professor, mentor dies at age 89

Professor Emeritus and six-time Penn degree recipient Edward Shils passed away over the weekend. He was 89 years old.

Colleagues remember Shils -- the George W. Taylor Professor Emeritus of Entrepreneurial Management at the Wharton School -- as a person with a passion for his students.

"He was really a remarkable man who had devoted much of his life to the University and will be deeply missed," said Daniel Levinthal, chairman of the Management Department. "You would never guess he was that age, if you ever met or interacted with him -- his enthusiasm for school and activities" was so great.

Called a "bundle of energy" by his colleagues, Shils had been a faculty member and a practicing attorney for most of his life. This semester, he was teaching Management 248, "Executive Leadership," despite having officially retired in 1985.

"It's coming to me as a shock to lose such a fine man," said Management professor Robert House, who noted that Shils continued to work "vigorously long hours" until his death. "He was a friend to many members of the faculty."

"He was incredibly committed to the school and the students," Levinthal said, adding that Shils particularly "enjoyed his role of an adviser to convey his breadth of experience."

Students in Shils' class said they benefited from their professor's wealth of knowledge and past experience.

"He told all these stories from the things he had done from the '40s, '50s, '60s," Wharton senior Jennifer Bucci said. "Few other professors have lived as long or have had as much experience as he has."

"It was really obvious that he truly cared about the students," Wharton senior Lindsay Hunt said. "I think that was why he was still teaching. He had a lot to offer. ... I think the thing that truly set him apart was how much he cared about helping students in school, careers or just advice."

According to colleagues and students, Shils was involved in a car accident two or three weeks ago, which resulted in hospitalization. Levinthal said his knowledge of Shils' condition was limited, but that he had suffered injuries and internal bleeding.

Students say that Shils' business partner has assumed leadership of his class since Shils' accident. Bucci said that the interim teacher told the class that "the day he got into he accident, he didn't want to go into surgery because he said he wanted to teach the next week."

Shils served as the chairman of the Management Department for many years and was heavily involved in University fundraising efforts. He founded Wharton's Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center in 1973, and served as its director until 1986. Shils also helped to create the Penn-Israeli Exchange Program and the Wharton Small Business Development Center.

He is survived by his wife, Penn alumna Shirley Shils, his three children and two grandchildren.

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