Ellis is a first name and surname of Welsh^[1][2]original spelling. At the time of the British Census of 1881,^[3] its relative frequency was highest in Merioneth (9.2 times the British average), followed by Flintshire, Denbighshire, Caernarfonshire, Montgomeryshire, Anglesey, Devon, Kinross-shire, Shropshire and Yorkshire. The name Ellis may refer to:

A[link]

• Abe Ellis (Stargate), a fictional character in the TV series Stargate Atlantis
• Albert Ellis (1913–2007), American cognitive-behavioural therapist and psychologist
• Albert Fuller Ellis (1869–1951), Australian prospector
• Alexander John Ellis (1814–1890), English philologist and music theorist, inventor of the cents' system in music intervals
• Alton Ellis (1938–2008), Jamaican musician
• Andrew Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• Annette Ellis (born 1946), Australian politician
• Arthur Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• Atom Ellis (born 1966), American musician
• Aunjanue Ellis (born 1969), American actress

B[link]

• Bill Ellis (born 1950), American folklorist
• Bill Ellis, Professional Wrestling Pioneer
• Bob Ellis (born 1942), Australian writer and journalist
• Bobby Ellis (born 1932), Jamaican trumpeter
• Brad Ellis, American composer and musical director
• Bret Easton Ellis (born 1964), American novelist
• Bruce Ellis (born 1960), Australian computer scientist

C[link]

• C. P. Ellis (1927–2005), American Ku Klux Klan leader turned civil rights activist
• Carol Ellis, American author
• Caroline Ellis (born 1950), American actress
• Carson Ellis (born 1975), American artist
• Charles Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• Rev Clement Ellis (1633–1700), English clergyman
• Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), Welsh architect
• Constance Ellis (1872–1942), first woman to graduate from the University of Melbourne as a Doctor of Medicine (1903)
• Craig Ellis (born 1974), former Australian-rules footballer
• Craig Ellis (Canadian football) (born 1961), former Canadian footballer

D[link]

• Dale Ellis (born 1960), retired American basketball player
• Dana Ellis (born 1980), Canadian pole-vaulter
• Daniel Ellis (disambiguation), several, including:
  • Dan Ellis (born 1980), Canadian professional ice hockey player
  • Dan Ellis (cyclist) (born 1988), Australian sprint cyclist
  • Daniel Ellis (Unionist) (1827–1908), Captain in the Union Army during the American Civil War
  • Daniel Ellis (footballer) (born 1988), English footballer
• David Ellis (disambiguation), several, including:
  • Dave Ellis (game designer) (born 1965), American game designer
  • David Ellis (writer) (1918-1978), British television writer
  • David R. Ellis (born 1952), American film director
• Dick Ellis (1895–1975), treacherous intelligence officer
• Dock Ellis (1945–2008), American baseball player
• Don Ellis (1934–1978), American jazz trumpeter
• Doug Ellis (born 1924), English entrepreneur and chairman of Aston Villa Football Club

E[link]

• Earl Hancock Ellis (1880–1923), US Marine Corps intelligence officer
• Edith Ellis (1861–1916), British author and women's rights activist
• Edward F. W. Ellis (1819–1862), American politician and lawyer
• Edward Robb Ellis (1911–1998), American diarist and journalist
• Edward S. Ellis (1840–1916), American author
• Edwin Ellis (Edwin John Ellis, 1848–1916), British poet and illustrator
• Ephraim Ellis (born 1985), Canadian actor
• Ellis (London cricketer), 18th century English cricketer

F[link]

• Francis Ellis, 17th-century administrator of the East India Company
• Frank Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• Fred Ellis (disambiguation), several people, including:
  • Fred Ellis (cartoonist) (1885–1965), American cartoonist
  • Fred Ellis (racing driver) 1889–1958), American racecar driver
  • Fred Ellis (footballer) 1900–1970), English footballer

G[link]

• Gary Ellis (born 1968), American BMX racer
• George Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• George Agar-Ellis, 1st Baron Dover (1797–1833), British politician
• Gerry Ellis (born 1957), former American football player
• Greg Ellis (disambiguation), several people

H[link]

• Harold Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• Harry Ellis (born 1982), English rugby union player
• Harvey Ellis (1852–1904), American architect, perspective renderer and painter
• Havelock Ellis (1859–1939), British sexual psychologist
• Henry Ellis (governor) (1720–1806), explorer, author, and governor of Georgia in North America
• Sir Henry Ellis (librarian) (1777–1869), librarian of the British Museum
• Henry Augustus Ellis (1861–1939), Australian surgeon
• Herb Ellis (1921–2010), American jazz guitarist
• Hortense Ellis (1941–2000), Jamaican reggae artist
• Hunter Ellis (born 1968), American television personality

J[link]

• C. Jack Ellis, former mayor of Macon, Georgia
• Jack Ellis (actor) (born 1955), British actor)
• Jack Ellis (rugby player) (1912–2007), English rugby union player
• James Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• Janet Ellis (born 1955), British television presenter
• Jason Ellis (born 1971), Australian skateboarder, mixed martial artist, radio host and actor
• Jim Ellis (disambiguation) or Jimmy Ellis, several people
• Jo Ellis (born 1983) English field hockey forward
• Joanne Ellis (born 1981), English field hockey midfielder
• Job Bicknell Ellis (1829–1905), American mycologist
• John Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• Joseph Ellis (born 1943), American professor of history

K[link]

• Kate Ellis (born 1977), Australian politician
• Katherine Ellis, English singer-songwriter
• Kathleen Ellis (born 1946), former American swimmer
• Keith Ellis (1946–1978), British musician
• Kerry Ellis (born 1979), English singer and stage actress
• Kevin Ellis (disambiguation), several people

L[link]

• LaPhonso Ellis (born 1970), former American Basketball Player, National Basketball Association
• Larry R. Ellis (born 1946), commander in the US Army (2001–04)
• LeRon Ellis (born 1969), former American professional basket ball player
• Leroy Ellis (born 1940), retired American basketball player
• Lester Ellis (born 1965), British boxer
• Liz Ellis (born 1973), retired Australian netball player
• Luther Ellis (born 1973), former American football player

M[link]

• Magen Ellis (born 1986), American beauty queen
• Marc Ellis (rugby) (born 1971), New Zealand businessman and television presenter and former rugby player
• Marc H. Ellis (born 1952), American author
• Mark Ellis (baseball) (born 1977), American Major League baseball player
• Mark Ellis (writer), American novelist
• Mary Ellis (1897–2003), British stage actress
• Matt Ellis (ice hockey) (born 1981), Canadian ice hockey player
• Merrill Ellis (1916–1981), American electroacoustic composer
• Michael Ellis (disambiguation) (or Mike Ellis), several people
• Monta Ellis (born 1985), American professional basketball player

N[link]

• Nick Ellis, American professor of psychology
• Novalyne Price Ellis (1908–1999), American schoolteacher

O[link]

• Osian Ellis (born 1928), Welsh harpist

P[link]

• P. W. Ellis (died 1929), Toronto Transportation Commission chairman
• Patrick Ellis, brother of the Institute of Brothers of Christian Schools and president of CUA (1992–98)
• Paul Ellis, New Zealand record producer
• Pee Wee Ellis (born 1941), American saxophonist
• Perry Ellis (1940–1986), American fashion designer
• Peter Ellis (architect) (1808–1888), English architect who designed the revolutionary Oriel Chambers in Liverpool in 1864
• Peter Ellis (CHP politician), candidate of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada
• Peter Ellis (Green Party candidate), candidate of the Green Party of Canada
• Peter Berresford Ellis (born 1943), English historian and literary biographer
• Peter Hugh McGregor Ellis (born 1958), New Zealander who was convicted of child molestation in 1993 and served seven years in jail
• Powhatan Ellis (1790–1863), US senator from Mississippi

R[link]

• Ralph Ellis (artist) (1885–1963), English painter and designer
• Ray Ellis (1923–2008), American record producer and composer
• Ray Ellis (American football) (born 1959), former American football player
• Raymond Ellis (1923–1994), British Labour Party politician
• Richard Ellis (astronomer) (born 1950), Caltech professor and director of Palomar Observatory.
• Richard Ellis (biologist), marine biologist at the American Museum of Natural History
• Richard Ellis (politician) (1781–1846), 19th century Texas legislator
• Rick Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• Robert Leslie Ellis (1817–1859), English polymath
• Robin Ellis, several people
• Robinson Ellis (1834–1913), English classical scholar
• Rod Ellis, linguist
• Rodney Ellis (born 1954), African-American politician from Texas
• Romallis Ellis (born 1965), former American boxer
• Ron Ellis (born 1945), retired Canadian ice hockey player
• Ross Ellis (1915–1983), Canadian politician
• Rowland Ellis (1650–1731), Welsh Quaker
• Rowland Ellis (bishop) (1841–1911), Welsh clergyman
• Royston Ellis (born 1941), British writer
• Ruth Ellis (1926–1955), last woman to be executed in the UK
• Ruth Ellis (activist) (1899–2000), American gay rights activist

S[link]

• Samuel Ellis (disambiguation), includes Sam/Sammy/Samuel
• Sedrick Ellis (born 1985), American football player
• Seger Ellis (1904–1995), American jazz pianist
• Shaun Ellis (born 1977), American footballer
• Shaun Ellis English animal researcher
• Shirley Ellis (born 1941), American soul singer
• Simon Ellis, English graphic designer
• Sophie Ellis-Bextor (born 1979), British pop singer
• Steven Ellis (disambiguation), several people
• Susan Williams-Ellis (1918–2007), English potter designer

T[link]

• T. E. Ellis (1859–1899), Welsh politician
• T. S. Ellis III (born 1940), U.S. federal judge in the trial of William J. Jefferson
• Terry Ellis (born 1963), African-American R&B singer
• Terry Ellis (manager) (born 1944), English record producer
• Thomas Ellis (disambiguation), various including
  • Thomas Ellis (Irish politician) (c. 1774–1832), Irish politician
  • Thomas F. Ellis, American lawyer
• Timo Ellis (born 1970), American musician and record producer
• Tinsley Ellis (born 1957), American blues/rock musician
• Tom Ellis (actor) (born 1979), English actor
• Tom Ellis (UK politician) (born 1924), former British politician
• Tommy Ellis (born 1947), former American NASCAR racing driver
• Tony Ellis (born 1964), former English professional footballer

V[link]

• Vivian Ellis (1903–1996), English musical comedy composer

W[link]

• Walter Ellis (born 1946), Northern Irish writer
• Warren Ellis (born 1968), British comic book author
• Warren Ellis (musician) (born 1965), Australian musician and composer
• Welbore Ellis, 1st Baron Mendip (1713–1802), British statesman
• Wes Ellis (1932–1984), American professional golfer
• William Ellis (disambiguation), several people

References[link]

1. ^ Classification and origin of Ellis
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ Ellis in the 1881 British Census

See also[link]

• Elles
• Ellice
• Elys
• Elis

This page or section lists people with the surname Ellis. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.

Monta Ellis

Ellis with the Warriors
No. 11 – Milwaukee Bucks
Guard
Personal information
Born	(1985-10-26) October 26, 1985 (age 26) Jackson, Mississippi
Nationality	American
High school	Lanier High School Jackson, Mississippi
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2005 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40th overall
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Pro career	2005–present
Career history
2005–2012	Golden State Warriors
2012–present	Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights and awards
NBA Most Improved Player (2007)
Stats at NBA.com

Monta Ellis (pronounced "MON-tay", born October 26, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who plays the shooting guard and point guard positions for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ellis entered the 2005 NBA Draft after graduating from Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, and the Golden State Warriors drafted him in the second round. He is known for his spectacular speed, earning him the nickname "The Mississippi Missile", and also for being a prolific scorer, capable of making difficult shots.

High school career[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

Ellis' attended Lanier High School in Jackson where he was named Parade Magazine High School Player of the Year 2005 (along with Greg Oden) and a USA Today All-American.^[1] He had committed to Mississippi State University before opting for the NBA in 2005.

At Lanier H.S., Ellis scored a career-best 72 points in a game against Greenwood High School. As a junior, he scored 42 points in a 80–75 loss against renowned high school basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, then the #1-ranked prep-basketball team in the country by USA Today, and their future NBA duo that consisted of point guard Rajon Rondo and forward Josh Smith, in front of a capacity crowd at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Benton, KY. His 42 points was the most ever scored against Oak Hill by an opposing player. In his senior season he scored 42 points in a game against South Gwinnett High School in which he was guarded by Louis Williams, at the Coliseum. He led Lanier to a 129–16 record in his four seasons as a starter (2002–2005), winning the 4A state championship in 2002 (33–5) and 2005 (35–2, ranked #12 nationally by USA Today) and runner-up finishes in 2003 (31–4) and 2004 (30–5). He scored a total of 4,167 points in his prep career, making him second all-time in Mississippi history. He received first-team all-state recognition from the Clarion-Ledger in all four of his high school seasons and was named Mississippi's "Mr. Basketball" by the paper in 2005.^[2]

NBA career[link]

Golden State Warriors (2005-12)[link]

Monta was drafted by the Warriors in the second round (40th overall) in the 2005 NBA Draft. Ellis was inserted into the starting lineup late in the 2005–06 NBA season, along with fellow rookie Ike Diogu. He scored his first points on December 7, 2005 against the Phoenix Suns on a 3-point shot.^[3] He was highly regarded as one of the players to watch during the 2006 summer league, but was unable to compete due to knee problems. After receiving very little playing time as a rookie, Ellis improved immensely coming into his second year and began to show great potential. During the 2007 NBA Draft, the Warriors traded Jason Richardson and second-round draft pick Jermareo Davidson to the Charlotte Bobcats for lottery pick Brandan Wright. The trade freed up about $10 million in salary cap space for the Warriors with which they could sign Ellis as well as teammate Andris Biedriņš to extended contracts^[4][5] and allowed Ellis more time at the shooting guard spot. In his third season, Ellis became one of the Warriors' top performers, becoming a clutch player and pulling them through close games.

On July 25, 2008, Ellis signed a six-year, $67 million contract extension with the Warriors, making him the highest paid player on the team.^[6]

2006–07 season[link]

On January 24, 2007, Ellis hit his first career game-winning shot as time expired to give the Warriors a 110–109 victory over the New Jersey Nets.^[7]

On January 31, he was selected to play in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge during the NBA's All-Star weekend. He scored a dunk-filled 28 points in a win for the sophomore team on 13 for 16 shooting. He was edged out by David Lee and Chris Paul for the game's MVP honors.

On February 24, Ellis recorded a career-high 13 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers.^[8]

On April 26, he received the NBA's Most Improved Player Award after averaging 16.5 points per game, a substantial increase from his average of 6.8 points per game as a rookie, edging out Sacramento Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin by three votes and beating teammate Andris Biedriņš. Ellis's points-per-game average compared to the previous season (6.8 to 16.5), an increase of 9.7, beat out Martin's increase of 9.4 (10.8 to 20.2).^[9]

Ellis was part of the rotation of the Warriors that beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, becoming the first eight-seeded team to beat a one-seeded team in a best-of-seven series. The Mavericks had the best record in the NBA and were tied 6th all time having a record of 67–15, but the Warriors as an eight-seeded team with a record of 42–40 beat the one-seeded team Mavericks 4–2 in the first round series. However, the Warriors lost in the Western Conference Semi-finals to the Utah Jazz 4–1.

2007–08 season[link]

On January 24, 2008, Ellis scored 39 points (13-for-18 shooting from the field, 13-for-14 free-throw shooting) against the New Jersey Nets, exactly one year to-the-day of his first ever game-winning shot, which also came against the Nets.^[10]

Ellis became the ninth guard in league history to average at least 20 points per game while averaging 60 percent from the field in a single month after making 60.2 percent of his shots in February, 2008. He was honored after the last game of the month by assistant coach Sidney Moncrief, one of the eight other players to achieve the feat; the other guards to perform this feat were John Stockton, Ricky Pierce, Earl Monroe, Jim Paxson, Fred Brown, Sidney Moncrief, Brad Davis, and Steve Nash.^[11][12] Ellis also scored over 30 points in the month of February for four games straight.

Ellis had a career-high average of shooting 53.1% from the field.

2008–09 season[link]

Ellis in action against the Phoenix Suns on March 15, 2009

On August 26, 2008, it was revealed that Ellis had torn a ligament in his left ankle. Ellis underwent successful surgery on August 27 to repair a torn deltoid ligament in his left ankle,^[13] after he informed the club that he had injured himself working out. Warriors general manager Chris Mullin revealed through an interview that Ellis received his injury during a pick-up game in a gym within his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. However, as was suspected during weeks of speculation, he was injured in a low-speed moped accident.^[14] Because dangerous activity such as this violates Paragraph 12 of his player contract, the Warriors organization opted to suspend Ellis for 30 games, the approximate number of games he expected to miss.^[15][16][17] In addition, the Warriors maintained the option to void his contract in the event his recovery had been unsuccessful.^[18] Initial reports stated that he would be out for at least three months from the date of his ankle surgery, although because of the suspension the earliest Ellis could play in a game was December 26.^[19] Ellis returned from his injury on January 23 in a home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and scored 20 points with three rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.^[20]

After starting slowly in February, Ellis took several games off, and showed marked improvement in March, during which he averaged 23.5 points per game, shooting 49% from the field and 87% from the free-throw line. Ellis opened the month of April by scoring 42 points, while also adding nine rebounds and nine assists in an overtime win against the Sacramento Kings.^[21]

2010–11 season[link]

In July, prior to the 2010–2011 season, Ellis married Juanika Amos Ellis in Memphis, Tennessee.^[22]

On October 27, 2010, Ellis recorded 46 points (18-of-24 FG, 1-of-2 3pt, 9-of-12 FT) with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in Golden State's 132–128 win over the Houston Rockets.

On December 14, 2010, Ellis poured in 34 points on 13-of-24 shooting during the Warriors' 108–99 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.^[23]

On December 20, 2010, Ellis scored 44 points (15-of-20 FG, 3-of 4 3pt, 11-of-14 FT) with a rebound, 7 assists, 2 steals, and played 42 minutes despite a 112–121 loss at home vs. the Houston Rockets.

Ellis was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 20 – Dec. 26 while averaging 39.7 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Ellis and the Golden State Warriors had 2 wins against the Sacramento Kings (117–109) on December 21, 2010 and the Portland Trail Blazers (109–102) on December 25, 2010, but 1 loss against the Houston Rockets (112–121) on December 20, 2010.

On January 7, 2011, Ellis scored a game-high 32 points (10-of-21 FG, 4-of-5 3pt, 8-of-8 FT) with 10 assists, two rebounds, three steals and six turnovers in Golden State's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.^[23] The score was 116–98.

On January 19, 2011, Ellis scored 36 points (16-of-28 FG, 2-of-3 3pt, 2-of-3 FT) with 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 4 turnovers in Golden State's 110–108 win over the Indiana Pacers.^[24] Ellis made a game-winning jumper over Brandon Rush for the Warriors while going on an isolation play with Brandon Rush guarding him.^[25]

On January 21, 2011, two days after he made a game-winning jumper, Ellis made a jumper against the Sacramento Kings with Tyreke Evans guarding him to send the game to overtime.^[26] Ellis finished with 28 points (12-of-29 FG, 1-of-6 3pt, 3-of-4 FT), 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and a block despite having 7 turnovers. Ellis played 49 minutes throughout the whole game, but he rolled his left ankle on Donte Greene. The Warriors finished this game with a 119–112 win.^[27] Ellis would play the next game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

2011–12 season[link]

On February 7, 2012, Ellis scored a career high- 48 points (18-of-29 FG, 3-of-6 3pt, 9-of-10 FT) with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a block in a 119–116 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ellis had 30 points at the half and 40 midway through the 3rd quarter.^[28]

Monta was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played March 5 through March 11. Averaging 20.5 points, 7.5 assists, 2 steals, and 3.5 rebounds, Ellis led the Warriors to a 3-1 record while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from downtown.

Milwaukee Bucks (2012-present)[link]

On March 13, 2012, Ellis, along with Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown, was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.^[29] Ellis played his first game as a Buck the day after the trade, against his old team, the Golden State Warriors, at Oracle Arena. In his debut, he had 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

On March 28, 2012, Monta scored 33 points (15-of-24 FG, 3-of-4 FT), including 17 in the fourth quarter, along with dishing out 8 assists and grabbing 4 rebounds in a win against the Atlanta Hawks.

On April 11, 2012, in a loss against the New York Knicks, Monta lead his team with 35 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds.

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Monta Ellis

• Monta Ellis at Basketball-Reference.com
• Monta Ellis at ESPN.com

Albert Ellis (September 27, 1913 – July 24, 2007) was an American psychologist who in 1955 developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). He held M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in clinical psychology from Columbia University and American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). He also founded and was the president emeritus of the New York City-based Albert Ellis Institute.^[1] He is generally considered to be one of the originators of the cognitive revolutionary paradigm shift in psychotherapy and the founder of cognitive-behavioral therapies. Based on a 1982 professional survey of USA and Canadian psychologists, he was considered as the second most influential psychotherapist in history (Carl Rogers ranked first in the survey; Sigmund Freud was ranked third).^[2] Prior to his death, Psychology Today described him as the “greatest living psychologist.” ^[3]

Early life[link]

Ellis was born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in 1913. He was the eldest of three children. Ellis' father was a businessman, often away from home on business trips, who reportedly showed only a modicum of affection to his children.

In his autobiography, Ellis characterized his mother as a self-absorbed woman with a bipolar disorder. At times, according to Ellis, she was a "bustling chatterbox who never listened." She would expound on her strong opinions on most subjects, but rarely provided a factual basis for these views. Like his father, Ellis' mother was emotionally distant from her children. Ellis recounted that she was often sleeping when he left for school and usually not home when he returned. Instead of reporting feeling bitter, he took on the responsibility of caring for his siblings. He purchased an alarm clock with his own money and woke and dressed his younger brother and sister. When the Great Depression struck, all three children sought work to assist the family. Ellis was sickly as a child and suffered numerous health problems through his youth. At the age of five he was hospitalized with a kidney disease.^[4] He was also hospitalized with tonsillitis, which led to a severe streptococcal infection requiring emergency surgery. He reported that he had eight hospitalizations between the ages of five and seven, one of which lasted nearly a year. His parents provided little emotional support for him during these years, rarely visiting or consoling him. Ellis stated that he learned to confront his adversities as he had "developed a growing indifference to that dereliction". Illness was to follow Ellis throughout his life; at age 40 he developed diabetes.^[5]

Ellis had exaggerated fears of speaking in public and during his adolescence he was extremely shy around women. At age 19, already showing signs of thinking like a cognitive-behavioral therapist, he forced himself to talk to 100 women in the Bronx Botanical Gardens over a period of a month. Even though he did not get a date, he reported that he desensitized himself to his fear of rejection by women.

Education and early career[link]

Ellis entered the field of clinical psychology after first earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in business from the City University of New York in 1934. He began a brief career in business, followed by one as a writer. These endeavors took place during the Great Depression that began in 1929, and Ellis found that business was poor and had no success in publishing his fiction. Finding that he could write non-fiction well, Ellis researched and wrote on human sexuality. His lay counseling in this subject convinced him to seek a new career in clinical psychology.

In 1942, Ellis began his studies for a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, which trained psychologists mostly in psychoanalysis. He completed his Master of Arts in clinical psychology from Teachers College in June 1943, and started a part-time private practice while still working on his PhD degree – possibly because there was no licensing of psychologists in New York at that time. Ellis began publishing articles even before receiving his Ph.D.; in 1946 he wrote a critique of many widely used pencil-and-paper personality tests. He concluded that only the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory met the standards of a research-based instrument.

In 1947 he was awarded a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (doctorate) at Columbia, and at that time Ellis had come to believe that psychoanalysis was the deepest and most effective form of therapy. Like most psychologists of that time, he was interested in the theories of Sigmund Freud. He sought additional training in psychoanalysis and then began to practice classical psychoanalysis. Shortly after receiving his Ph.D. in 1947, Ellis began a personal analysis and program of supervision with Richard Hulbeck (whose own analyst had been Hermann Rorschach, a leading training analyst at the Karen Horney Institute and the developer of the Rorschach inkblot test). At that time he taught at New York University and Rutgers University and held a couple of leading staff positions. At this time Ellis' faith in psychoanalysis was gradually crumbling.^[6]

Early theoretical contributions to psychotherapy[link]

Of psychologists, the writings of Karen Horney, Alfred Adler, Erich Fromm and Harry Stack Sullivan would arguably be some of the greatest influences in Ellis's thinking and played a role in shaping his psychological models. Ellis credits Alfred Korzybski,^[7] his book, Science and Sanity,^[8] and general semantics for starting him on the philosophical path for founding rational therapy. In addition modern and ancient philosophy and his own experiences heavily influenced his new theoretical developments to psychotherapy.^[6]

By January 1953 his break with psychoanalysis was complete, and he began calling himself a rational therapist. Ellis was now advocating a new more active and directive type of psychotherapy. By 1955 he dubbed his new approach Rational Therapy (RT). In RT, the therapist sought to help the client understand — and act on the understanding — that his personal philosophy contained beliefs that contributed to his own emotional pain. This new approach stressed actively working to change a client's self-defeating beliefs and behaviours by demonstrating their irrationality, self-defeatism and rigidity. Ellis believed that through rational analysis and cognitive reconstruction, people could understand their self-defeatingness in light of their core irrational beliefs and then develop more rational constructs.

In 1954 Ellis began teaching his new techniques to other therapists, and by 1957 he formally set forth the first cognitive behavior therapy by proposing that therapists help people adjust their thinking and behavior as the treatment for emotional and behavioural problems. Two years later Ellis published How to Live with a Neurotic, which elaborated on his new method. In 1960 Ellis presented a paper on his new approach at the American Psychological Association (APA) convention in Chicago. There was mild interest, but few recognized that the paradigm set forth would become the zeitgeist within a generation. At that time the prevailing interest in experimental psychology was behaviorism, while in clinical psychology it was the psychoanalytic schools of notables such as Freud, Jung, Adler, and Perls. Despite the fact that Ellis' approach emphasized cognitive, emotive, and behavioral methods, his strong cognitive emphasis provoked the psychotherapeutic establishment with the possible exception of the followers of Adler. Consequently, he was often received with significant hostility at professional conferences and in print.^[9] He regularly held seminars where he would bring a participant up on stage and treat them. His treatments were famed for often being delivered in a rough, confrontational style.

Despite the relative slow adoption of his approach in the beginning, Ellis founded his own institute. The Institute for Rational Living was founded as a non-profit organization in 1959. By 1968 it was chartered by the New York State Board of Regents as a training institute and psychological clinic.

Work as sexologist and sex and love researcher[link]

By the 1960s, Ellis had come to be seen as one of the founders of the American sexual revolution. Especially in his earlier career, he was well known for his work as a sexologist and for his liberal humanistic, and controversial^[10] in some camps, opinions on human sexuality. He also worked with noted zoologist and sex researcher Alfred Kinsey and explored in a number of books and articles the topic of human sexuality and love. Sex and love relations were his professional interests even from the beginning of his career.

In 1958 he published his classic book Sex Without Guilt which came to be known for its liberal sexual attitudes. He contributed to Paul Krassner's magazine The Realist; among its articles, in 1964 he authored if this be heresy... Is pornography harmful to children?^[11] In 1965 Ellis published a book entitled Homosexuality: Its Causes and Cure, which partly saw homosexuality as a pathology and therefore a condition to be cured. In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association reversed its position on homosexuality by declaring that it was not a mental disorder and thus not properly subject to cure, and in 1976 Ellis clarified his earlier views in Sex and the Liberated Man, expounding that some homosexual disturbed behaviors may be subject to treatment but, in most cases, that should not be attempted as homosexuality is not inherently good or evil, except from a religious viewpoint (See "Albert Ellis and religion", below). Near the end of his life, he finally updated and re-wrote Sex Without Guilt in 2001 and released as Sex Without Guilt in the Twenty-First Century. In this book, he expounded and enhanced his humanistic view on sexual ethics and morality and dedicated a chapter on homosexuality to giving homosexuals advice and suggestion on how to more greatly enjoy and enhance their sexual love lives. While preserving some of the ideas about human sexuality from the original, the revision constituted his current humanistic opinions and ethical ideals.

Ellis and religion[link]

In his original version of his book Sex Without Guilt, Ellis expressed the opinion that religious restrictions on sexual expression are often needless and harmful to emotional health. He also famously debated religious psychologists, including Orval Hobart Mowrer and Allen Bergin, over the proposition that religion often contributed to psychological distress. Because of his forthright espousal of a nontheistic humanism, he was recognized in 1971 as Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association. Ellis most recently described himself as a probabilistic atheist, meaning that while he acknowledged that he could not be completely certain there is no god, he believed the probability a god exists was so small that it was not worth his or anyone else's attention.^[12]

While Ellis’ personal atheism and humanism remained consistent, his views about the role of religion in mental health changed over time. In early comments delivered at conventions and at his institute in New York City, Ellis overtly and often with characteristically acerbic delivery stated that devout religious beliefs and practices were harmful to mental health. In The Case Against Religiosity, a 1980 pamphlet published by his New York institute, he offered an idiosyncratic definition of religiosity as any devout, dogmatic and demanding belief. He noted that religious codes and religious individuals often manifest religiosity, but added that devout, demanding religiosity is also obvious among many orthodox psychotherapists and psychoanalysts, devout political believers and aggressive atheists.

Ellis was careful to state that REBT was independent of his atheism, noting that many skilled REBT practitioners are religious, including some who are ordained ministers. In his later days he significantly toned down his opposition to religion. While Ellis maintained his firm atheistic stance, proposing that thoughtful, probabilistic atheism was likely the most emotionally healthy approach to life, he acknowledged and agreed with survey evidence suggesting that belief in a loving god can also be psychologically healthy.^[13] Based on this later approach to religion, he reformulated his professional and personal view in one of his last books The Road to Tolerance, and he also co-authored a book, Counseling and Psychotherapy with Religious Persons: A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Approach, with two religious psychologists, Stevan Lars Nielsen and W. Brad Johnson, describing principles for integrating religious material and beliefs with REBT during treatment of religious clients.

Ellis was a lifelong advocate for peace and opponent of militarism.^[14][15][16]

Later life[link]

Professional contributions[link]

While many of his ideas were criticized during the 1950s and '60s by the psychotherapeutic establishment, his reputation grew immensely during the next decades. From the 1960s on, his prominence was steadily growing as the cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) were gaining further theoretical and scientific ground.^[17] From then, CBT, which was founded by Aaron T. Beck, the father of cognitive therapy, gradually became one of the most popular systems of psychotherapy in many countries. In the late 1960s his institute launched a professional journal, and in the early 70s established "The Living School" for children between 6 and 13. The school provided a curriculum that incorporated the principles of RE(B)T. Despite its relative short life, interest groups generally expressed satisfaction with its programmer.^[17] Many schools of psychological thought became influenced by Albert Ellis, including Rational Behavior Therapy created by a student of his, Maxie Clarence Maultsby, Jr..^[18] Ellis had such an impact that in a 1982 survey, American and Canadian clinical psychologists and counsellors ranked him ahead of Freud when asked to name the figure who had exerted the greatest influence on their field. Also, in 1982, a large analysis of psychology journals published in the US, found that Ellis was the most cited author after 1957.^[17] In 1985, the APA presented Dr. Ellis with its award for "distinguished professional contributions".

He held many important positions in many professional societies including the Division of Consulting Psychology of the APA, Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, American Association of Marital and Family Therapy, the American Academy of Psychotherapists and the American Association of Sex Educators, Counsellors, and Therapists. In addition Ellis also served as consulting or associate editor of many scientific journals. Many professional societies gave Ellis their highest professional and clinical awards.

In the mid 1990s he renamed his psychotherapy and behavior change system Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. (It was originally known as Rational Therapy and then Rational-Emotive Therapy.) This he did to stress the interrelated importance of cognition, emotion and behaviour in his therapeutic approach. In 1994 he also updated and revised his original, 1962 classic book, Reason and Emotion in Psychotherapy^[19]. During the remainder of his life, he continued developing the theory that cognition, emotion and behaviour are intertwined, and that a system for psychotherapy and behaviour change must involve all three.

Public appearance[link]

Ellis's work extended into areas other than psychology, including education, politics, business and philosophy. He eventually became a prominent and confrontational social commenter and public speaker on a wide array of issues. During his career he publicly debated a vast amount of people who represented opposing views to his; this included for example debates with psychologist Nathaniel Branden on Objectivism and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz on the topic of mental illness. On numerous occasions he critiqued opposing psychotherapeutic approaches, and questioned some of the doctrines in certain dogmatic religious systems, spiritualism and mysticism.

From 1965 until the end of his life he led his famous Friday Night Workshops, in which he conducted therapy sessions with volunteers from the audience. The 1970s found him introducing his popular "rational humorous songs", which combined humorous lyrics with a rational self-help message set to a popular tune. Ellis also held workshops and seminars on mental health and psychotherapy all over the world until his 90's.

Final years[link]

Until he fell ill at the age of 92 in 2006, Dr. Ellis typically worked at least 16 hours a day, writing books in longhand on legal tablets, visiting with clients and teaching. On his 90th birthday in 2003 he received congratulatory messages from well-known public figures such as then-President George W. Bush, New York senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and the Dalai Lama, who sent a silk scarf blessed for the occasion.^[20][21] In 2004 Ellis was taken ill with serious intestinal problems, which led to hospitalization and the removal of his large intestine. He returned to work after a few months of supportive care.

In 2005 he was subjected to removal from all his professional duties and from the board of his own institute after a dispute over the management policies of the institute. Ellis was reinstated to the board in January 2006, after winning civil proceedings against the board members who removed him.^[22] On June 6, 2007, lawyers acting for Albert Ellis filed a suit against the Albert Ellis Institute in New York state court. The suit alleges a breach of a long-term contract with the AEI and sought recovery of the 45 East 65th Street property through the imposition of a constructive trust.^[23]

Despite his series of health issues and a profound hearing loss Ellis never stopped working relentlessly with his professional activities. His wife, Australian psychologist Dr Debbie Joffe, assisted him in his work. Then in April 2006, Ellis was hospitalized with pneumonia, and spent more than a year shuttling between hospital and a rehabilitation facility. He eventually returned to his residence on the top floor of the Albert Ellis Institute where he passed away in the arms of his wife. At the time of his death on July 24, 2007, Dr. Ellis had authored and co-authored more than 80 books and 1200 articles (including eight hundred scientific papers) during his lifetime. He died aged 93.^[4]

During his final years he collaborated with Michael S. Abrams, Ph.D, with whom he collaborated with on several other works, on his only college textbook Personality Theories: Critical Perspectives.^[24] Ellis' penultimate book was an autobiography entitled "All Out!" published by Prometheus Books in June 2010. The book was dedicated to and contributed by his wife Dr Debbie Joffe Ellis who Ellis described as "The greatest love of my whole life, my whole life". He also entrusted the legacy of REBT to her. In early 2011 the book Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy by Dr Albert Ellis and his wife Dr Debbie Joffe Ellis was released by the American Psychological Association. The book explains the essentials of the theory of REBT and is considered an excellent basic guide in understanding the REBT approach for students and practitioners of psychology as well as for the general public.

In eulogy of Albert Ellis, APA past president Frank Farley states, “Psychology has had only of a handful of legendary figures who not only command attention across much of the discipline but also receive high recognition from the public for their work. Albert Ellis was such a figure, known inside and outside of psychology for his astounding originality, his provocative ideas, and his provocative personality. He bestrode the practice of psychotherapy like a colossus…” ^[25]

Autobiographical Works[link]

Most of the books Ellis wrote after inventing REBT had a strong autobiographical element. He used anecdotes from his personal life to explain how the insights of REBT occurred to him and how they helped him cope with personal problems such as shyness, anger and chronic illness.^[26][27][28] He also used anecdotes from client sessions to illustrate how his therapy worked. ^[29][30] Two of Ellis last books were explicitly autobiographical. Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy: It Works for Me -- It Can Work for You (Prometheus Books, 2004) recounts his early life and crises in an unusually candid way. It illustrates the way he handled his problems, at first through philosophy, and later through the application of his emerging therapeutic skills and insights. All Out!: An Autobiography -- published in 2009 after his death -- is a more traditional narrative of his life and work (though it also meant to be an inspirational story of the use of rational thinking in self-help). All Out! is published by Prometheus Books.

Published works[link]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• The Folklore of Sex, Oxford, England: Charles Boni, 1951.
• The Homosexual in America: A Subjective Approach (introduction). NY: Greenberg, 1951.
• The American Sexual Tragedy. NY: Twayne, 1954.
• Sex Life of the American woman and the Kinsey Report. Oxford, England: Greenberg, 1954.
• The Psychology of Sex Offenders. Springfield, IL: Thomas, 1956.
• How To Live With A Neurotic. Oxford, England: Crown Publishers, 1957.
• Sex Without Guilt. NY: Hillman, 1958.
• The Art and Science of Love. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1960.
• A Guide to Successful Marriage, with Robert A. Harper. North Hollywood, CA: Wilshire Book, 1961.
• Creative Marriage, with Robert A. Harper. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1961.
• The Encyclopedia of Sexual Behavior, edited with Albert Abarbanel. NY: Hawthorn, 1961.
• The American Sexual Tragedy, 2nd Ed. rev. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1962.
• Reason and Emotion In Psychotherapy. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1962.
• Sex and the Single Man. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1963.
• If This Be Sexual Heresy. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1963.
• Nymphomania: A Study of the Oversexed Woman, with Edward Sagarin. NY: Gilbert Press, 1964.
• Homosexuality: Its causes and Cures. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1965.
• Is Objectivism a Religion. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1968.
• Murder and Assassination, with John M. Gullo. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1971.
• A Guide to Rational Living. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall, 1961.
• Humanistic Psychotherapy, NY McGraw, 1974 Sagarin ed.
• A New Guide to Rational Living. Wilshire Book Company, 1975. ISBN 0-87980-042-9.
• Anger: How to Live With and Without It. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1977. ISBN 0-8065-0937-6.
• Handbook of Rational-Emotive Therapy, with Russell Greiger & contributors. NY: Springer Publishing, 1977.
• Overcoming Procrastination: Or How to Think and Act Rationally in Spite of Life's Inevitable Hassles, with William J. Knaus. Institute for Rational Living, 1977. ISBN 0-917476-04-2.
• How to Live With a Neurotic. Wilshire Book Company, 1979. ISBN 0-87980-404-1.
• Overcoming Resistance: Rational-Emotive Therapy With Difficult Clients. NY: Springer Publishing, 1985. ISBN 0-8261-4910-3.
• When AA Doesn't Work For You: Rational Steps to Quitting Alcohol, with Emmett Velten. Barricade Books, 1992. ISBN 0-942637-53-4.
• The Art and Science of Rational Eating, with Mike Abrams and Lidia Abrams. Barricade Books, 1992. ISBN 0-942637-60-7.
• How to Cope with a Fatal Illness, with Mike Abrams. Barricade Books, 1994. ISBN 1-56980-005-7.
• Reason and Emotion In Psychotherapy, Revised and Updated. Secaucus, NJ: Carol Publishing Group, 1994. ISBN 1-55972-248-7.
• How to Keep People from Pushing Your Buttons, with Arthur Lange. Citadel Press, 1995. ISBN 0-8065-1670-4.
• Alcohol: How to Give It Up and Be Glad You Did, with Philip Tate Ph.D. See Sharp Press, 1996. ISBN 1-884365-10-8.
• How to Control Your Anger Before It Controls You, with Raymond Chip Tafrate. Citadel Press, 1998. ISBN 0-8065-2010-8.
• Optimal Aging: Get Over Getting Older, with Emmett Velten. Chicago, Open Court Press, 1998. ISBN 0-8126-9383-3.
• How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About Anything: Yes, Anything", Lyle Stuart, 2000, ISBN 0-8184-0456-6.
• Making Intimate Connections: Seven Guidelines for Great Relationships and Better Communication, with Ted Crawford. Impact Publishers, 2000. ISBN 1-886230-33-1.
• The Secret of Overcoming Verbal Abuse: Getting Off the Emotional Roller Coaster and Regaining Control of Your Life, with Marcia Grad Powers. Wilshire Book Company, 2000. ISBN 0-87980-445-9.
• Counseling and Psychotherapy With Religious Persons: A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Approach, with Stevan Lars Nielsen and W. Brad Johnson. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. ISBN 0-8058-2878-8.
• Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors: New Directions for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Prometheus Books, 2001. ISBN 1-57392-879-8.
• Feeling Better, Getting Better, Staying Better: Profound Self-Help Therapy For Your Emotions. Impact Publishers, 2001. ISBN 1-886230-35-8.
• Case Studies In Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy With Children and Adolescents, with Jerry Wilde. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall, 2002. ISBN 0-13-087281-4.
• Overcoming Resistance: A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Integrated Approach, 2nd ed. NY: Springer Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-8261-4912-X.
• Ask Albert Ellis: Straight Answers and Sound Advice from America's Best-Known Psychologist. Impact Publishers, 2003. ISBN 1-886230-51-X.
• Sex Without Guilt in the 21st Century. Barricade Books, 2003. ISBN 1-56980-258-0.
• Dating, Mating, and Relating. How to Build a Healthy Relationship, with Robert A. Harper. Citadel Press Books, 2003. ISBN 0-8065-2454-5
• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: It Works For Me—It Can Work For You. Prometheus Books, 2004. ISBN 1-59102-184-7.
• The Road to Tolerance: The Philosophy of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Prometheus Books, 2004. ISBN 1-59102-237-1.
• The Myth of Self-Esteem. Prometheus Books, 2005. ISBN 1-59102-354-8.
• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: A Therapist's Guide (2nd Edition), with Catharine MacLaren. Impact Publishers, 2005. ISBN 1-886230-61-7.
• How to Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Disturbable. Impact Publishers, 1999. ISBN 1-886230-18-8.
• Rational Emotive Behavioral Approaches to Childhood Disorders • Theory, Practice and Research 2nd Edition. With Michael E. Bernard (Eds.). Springer SBM, 2006. ISBN 978-0-387-26374-8
• Growth Through Reason: Verbatim Cases In Rational-Emotive Therapy Science and Behavior Books. Palo Alto, California. 1971.
• All Out!. Prometheus Books, 2009. ISBN 1-59102-452-8.
• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, American Psychological Association, ISBN 978-1-4338-0961-3
• How to Master Your Fear of Flying. Institute Rational Emotive Therapy, 1977. ISBN 978-0-917476-10-5.
• How to Control you Anxiety before it Controls you. Citadel Press, 2000. ISBN-10: 0806521368.
• Theories of Personality: Critical Perspectives, with Mike Abrams, PhD, and Lidia Abrams, PhD. New York: Sage Press, 7/2008 ISBN 978-1-4129-1422-2 (This was his final work, published posthumously).

See also[link]

References[link]