The Sophia Holley Ellis papers primarily documents Ellis's academic life at the University of Michigan as well as her professional life. Included in this collection are biographical and graduation materials, clippings, an oral history, a photograph album, papers, publications, and several scrapbooks.
The collections' scrapbooks will be of particular interest to researchers. Her University of Michigan scrapbook contains diplomas; photographs of students, including Ellis and her classmates, as well as events on campus; notes describing events in Ellis's personal life; correspondence and other items related to Ellis's academic career; announcements and programs of plays, performances, and other campus events; issues of student and alum publications; greeting cards; and ephemera. Also included are details of her first date; sorority pledging material, including the historically Black sorority Delta Sigma Theta (DST); and photos from a trip to Washington, DC with classmates where Ellis was excluded from some venues because of racial segregation. Her International trip scrapbook documents her travels abroad, while the National Council for International Visitors Award scrapbook highlights her receipt of the Phyllis Layton Perry Educator of the Year award in 2006.
Researchers should also consult her oral history, which was captured on December 3, 2017. During this interview, Ellis—who spoke with Kyle Whitaker and Nancy Bryk—addressed a range of topics, including her family history, early life, and experiences at the University of Michigan.
Sophia Lugene Holley was born on January 30, 1927, in Detroit, MI. Her parents—both of whom were Black—were Major Quincy Adams Holley, Sr., a foundry worker, and Ethel Lee Holley (née Jones), a teacher. They came to Detroit from Alabama in circa 1918. The family lived in an African American neighborhood on the west side of Detroit.
A defining characteristic of Ellis is her interest in the German language and biology. These passions were fostered when she was a toddler by her godfather, University of Michigan alum Dr. Victor Julius Tulane (M.S. 1929, Ph.D 1933). He believed that German scientific research was superior to all others, and—upon learning of Ellis's desire to become a scientist—advised her to learn the German language so that she could understand their research. He also encouraged her to attend the University of Michigan.
Ellis attended Higginbotham Elementary School and Lauren A. Post Intermediate School, graduating with honors from the latter. She then studied at Northern High School and graduated magna cum laude in January 1945. Ellis matriculated to the University of Michigan in October 1945, where she chose to major in Biology and German. During her time at the university, Ellis was involved with the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, German Club (Deutscher Verein), and the Mary Markley House. She also received the university's Bronson-Thomas German prize in 1947, joined the Beta chapter of the Phi Sigma Society in 1949, and served as the university's representative to the first Civil Rights Conference in Washington D.C in 1950. She was reportedly the first Black University of Michigan student to study at the university's Biological Station in Pellston, MI. Ellis received her B.A. in German Language and Biology in 1949, followed by an M.S. in Botany in 1950 and M.A. in Germanic Languages and Literatures in 1964, all from the University of Michigan. She also received several teaching certificates from different institutions, including a Teacher's Certificate in Education from the University of Michigan in 1949.
In 1950, Ellis began working as a teacher for the Detroit Public Schools (DPS). She taught subjects such as biology, geography, literature, and science at Campbell Elementary School (1950), Norvell Elementary School (1950-1956), High School of Commerce (circa 1956-1964), and Eastern High School (circa 1964-1968).
She married James Thomas Ellis on February 17, 1968. He was a graduate of Wayne State and Harvard Law School. They had two children John Thomas Ellis and Holley Elizabeth Ellis. The couple divorced in 1988.
After briefly teaching at Haydock Junior High School in Oxnard, CA (1968-1969) and Louis Agassiz Grammar School in Cambridge, MA (1969-1971), Ellis returned to Michigan in the early 1970s. She continued to work as a teacher at different institutions, including Wayne County Community College (circa 1974-1978) and DPS's Southeastern High School (1978-1985). In 1985, Ellis joined DPS's Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School and was tasked with building the school's German program. She also participated in, coordinated, or was otherwise involved with, student and teacher exchange programs like the German American Partnership Program (GAPP). Ellis retired from DPS in 2006.
Ellis participated in numerous organizations over the course of her career. She served as a New York and Maine Girl Scout camp counselor from 1949-1954 and spent many summers between 1955 and 1965 in Europe, including the Soviet Union, particularly as a member of the voluntary organization known as the Lisle Fellowship, Inc. Ellis later served on the Detroit Public Schools Curriculum Committee (1964-1966), was the first president of the Black Leadership Council of the University of Michigan Alumni Association (1974-1977), and served as president of the Michigan Chapter of the American Association of Teachers in German (AATG) in circa 1992. Ellis sponsored a variety of clubs and was a member of several professional associations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Ellis has received numerous awards and honors over the course of her career. These awards include the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1995), Goethe-Institut / American Association of Teachers of German Certificate of Merit (1997), and the National Council for International Visitors' Phyllis Layton Perry Educator of the Year award (2006).
In 2009, Ellis established the University of Michigan's Sophia Holley Ellis Scholarship Fund (also known as the Sophia Holley Ellis Scholarship endowment). The fund primarily supported students from Detroit who were part of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
