Eli Yehill Velder (November 9, 1925 – April 6, 2020) was an American academic. He held the endowed Dean Van Meter Alumnae Professorship of history and philosophy of education at

Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1885 as a Nonsectarian, nonsecterian Women's colleges in the United States, ...

. Velder founded the education program at Goucher, where he was associated for almost 62 years. He taught courses on history, the

philosophy of education The philosophy of education is the branch of applied philosophy that investigates the nature of education as well as its aims and problems. It also examines the concepts and presuppositions of education theories. It is an interdisciplinary fiel ...

, and teaching

disadvantaged The "disadvantaged" is a generic term for individuals or groups of people who: * Face special problems such as physical disability, physical or mental disorder, mental disability * Lack money or economic supportKingdom of Nepal: Economic and Soc ...

youths.

Early life and education

Velder was born on November 9, 1925, and raised in an observant Jewish family in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. His parents were Rose and Abraham Velder. Velder earned a B.A. (1948) and Ph.D. (1952) from

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

. Velder taught at

Baltimore Hebrew University Baltimore Hebrew University was founded as Baltimore Hebrew College and Teachers Training School in 1919 to promote Jewish scholarship and academic excellence. It was the only institution of higher learning in Maryland devoted solely to all asp ...

(BHU) while completing his doctoral studies. His mentor, the president of the BHU, recommended Velder consider a career in education and the

history of education The history of education, like other history, extends at least as far back as the first written records recovered from ancient civilizations. Historical studies have included virtually every nation. The earliest known formal school was develope ...

. Velder later completed his doctoral studies in this area. His dissertation was titled, ''The teaching of the Bible in the Jewish schools of Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries''. Velder completed a

teaching diploma Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the of an educational institution. Teaching is closely related to ...

at BHU.

Career

Velder began teaching at

, part-time, in 1958 at the suggestion of one of his doctoral committee members. He transitioned to full-time by 1963. Velder taught courses on history, the

, and teaching

youths. He was the founder of the education program at Goucher. In 1985, Velder was named the endowed Dean Van Meter Alumnae Professorship of history and philosophy of education. He was chair of the education department from 1980 to 1990, director of the M.Ed. program from 1991 to 1993, and director of the graduate programs in education. In the early 1990s, at the suggestion of president Rhoda Dorsey, Velder worked with the Goucher dance therapy program to combine pedagogical expertise at Goucher with the psychological expertise at

Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, known to many simply as Sheppard Pratt, is a psychiatric hospital located in Towson, a northern suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1853, it is one of the oldest private psychiatric hospitals in the n ...

. Velder was associated with Goucher for nearly 62 years. He was later professor emeritus of education. Velder published articles and served on statewide committees on education. He was a visiting professor at

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...

and a guest lecturer at

Odessa University The Odesa I.I.Mechnykov National University (), often referred to as Odesa National University ( ONU, ), located in Odesa, Ukraine, is one of that country's major state-sponsored universities, named after the scientist Élie Metchnikoff (1845- ...

Personal life

Velder died on April 6, 2020. He had a daughter and a son. Velder was predeceased by his first wife, Jane Velder (née Kasper) and his second wife, Zahava Velder (née Brand).

Awards and honors

Velder received the Goucher College award for outstanding teaching in 1979. In 1986, he received the Goucher award for service to the college. Velder was presented a doctor of Hebrew letters, ''

honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

'', in 2000 from

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Velder, Eli 1925 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American educators 21st-century American educators Goucher College faculty and staff Jewish American academics Johns Hopkins University alumni Writers from Baltimore 21st-century American Jews