by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright June 22, 2001
All Rights Reserved.

hrowing academia for a loop, Pulitzer Prize winning historian Joseph J. Ellis turned his quaint western Massachusetts women’s college upside down, admitting to embellishing his past, following a bombshell released June 18 in the Boston Globe. Playing fast and loose in 1997, Ellis reportedly told reporter Mark Freeny about his 1965 tour of duty in Vietnam as a platoon leader in the 101st Airborne division, serving on the Saigon staff of American commander Gen. William Westmoreland. Something didn’t pass the smell test when Freeny actually discovered that Ellis served in the ROTC at the College of William and Mary. In reality, Ellis joined the Army in August 1969 and spent his entire 3-year stint not in rice paddies but teaching history at West Point. Lecturing at Mount Holyoke, Ellis taught courses on Vietnam, frequently sharing bogus war stories, including clearing the area around My Lai, shortly before the infamous massacre—a turning point in the anti-war movement. “There was no reason to question any of it,” said Angel Kozell, a 2000 graduate who took Ellis’ class on Vietnam and popular culture—she now finds herself shocked and disillusioned.

       Not only did Ellis concoct stories about his tour in Vietnam, he grossly exaggerated his role in the civil rights and anti-war movements. Known for his meticulous scholarship, Ellis stunned Mount Holyoke faculty—and indeed the academic world—by publicly admitting to egregious distortions. “Even in the best of lives, mistakes are made,” said Ellis’ Boston attorney John Taylor Williams, reading a statement to the press. Attempting a feeble mea culpa, “I deeply regret having let stand and later confirming the assumption that I went to Vietnam. For this and any other distortions about my personal life, I want to apologize to my family, friends, colleagues and students. Beyond that circle, however, I shall have no further comments,” asserted Williams, indicating that Ellis would not speak directly to the press. Trying some damage control, “There are many people who go through personal crises in their own lives, “ said Ellis’ New York Publisher Paul Bogaards from Alfred A. Knopf, trying his best to stem potentially irreversible damage to Ellis’ reputation.

       Reactions to the Globe story and Ellis’ admission came fast and furious. “I don’t think you will find anyone taking issue with Joe’s work as a scholar,” said Bogaards, hoping to preserve Ellis’ commercial appeal. Shooting down that theory, “. . . I think that someone who fakes his personal history in a significant way does not deserve to be honored as a historian. I don’t think we should honor people who do that kind of fakery,” said UC Berkeley journalism professor and fellow Pulitzer Prize winner Ben Bagdikian, suggesting that the Pulitzer board should revoke Ellis’ award for unforgivable ethical breaches. “Nobody has said yet, and I don’t expect to hear it, that his published work is negatively colored by this self-embellishment,” said Stanford University professor and 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner David M. Kennedy, implying that personal foibles shouldn’t vitiate Ellis’ professional work. Sounds like excuses before Clinton’s impeachment trial: Lying about sex—under oath or not—doesn’t rise to the level of an impeachable offense. Now we’re asked to believe that lying about one’s past doesn’t affect overall credibility.

       While it’s tempting to trivialize Ellis’ actions or simply make convenient excuses, discovering lies opens up a can of worms. Our entire legal system is based on getting at the truth. Lies—no matter how trivial—are frequently used to impeach the testimony of otherwise credible witnesses. Why should it be any different anywhere else? It’s ludicrous to think that Ellis’ credibility as a “scholar” or “academic” isn’t affected by his personal conduct. Even private disclosures about substance abuse, past criminal history, gambling, aberrant sexuality, etc., impacts credibility. “I don’t know anybody who hasn’t exaggerated his past in some fashion, not perhaps as much as he did. It seems to be part of the human nature,” said Ellis’ editor at Knopf Ashbel Green, trying his best to rescue his future marketability. But standards for truth seekers—like historians—are higher precisely because they record observations for posterity. Historians command a delicate trust that their findings faithfully mirror the factual record. Lying in any area—no matter how trivial or irrelevant—sabotages precious credibility.

       Beyond his “war” stories, Ellis also revealed an unrelated but significant bit of trivia to Globe reporter Mark Freeny—perhaps telling the real story behind this sad genius. He told Freeny he was a high school football hero before attending the College of William and Mary and graduate school at Yale. Unable to confirm this story, it now appears that Ellis may suffer from “Munchausen Syndrome,” a relatively rare psychiatric condition causing cognitive distortions, uncontrollable hyperbole and outright fabrications. While today’s cases center on imaginary illnesses, yesterday’s cases involved wild “war” stories. Like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, damaged self-esteem and inferiority drive people to create outrageous tales where they play the role of heroes—just like Ellis did in Vietnam or on the gridiron. Ellis’ attorney was wrong to make public admissions and apologies before his client was properly evaluated. With “Munchausen’s Syndrome,” it’s quite conceivable that Ellis was oblivious to his own distortions and fantasies.

       Standing by Ellis, Mount Holyoke president Joanne V. Creighton praised his “reputation for great integrity, honesty and honor.” Referring to Ellis as “a beloved teacher and one of the nation’s most prominent historians,” Creighton drew ire when she failed to condemn his behavior. Still in disbelief, she admitted, “I presumed his innocence when I first heard of this matter,” but later acknowledged, “I, too, deeply regret the effect of his misrepresentation on students, colleagues and the public.” Mount Holyoke dean of faculty Donald O’Shea admitted, “There’s a huge amount of disbelief. There’s disconnect, total shock,” the same type of denial frequently seen when celebrities fall off the pedestal. Before Ellis’ Boston attorney John Taylor Williams heaps more misery on his beleaguered client, he should have Ellis professionally diagnosed. Only then will concerned parties know the real story behind how a person with such impeccable credentials fell on his face. Hyping his days as a high school football star tells the story behind this genteel professor. Sitting on the sidelines and writing history is a lot different than making headlines—sometimes it’s easy to forget.

About the Author

John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com and columnist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He’s director of a Los Angeles think tank specializing in political consulting and strategic public relations. He’s the author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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