Dr. Harold Elliott, Professor Emeritus
Email: helliott@weber.edu
Dr. Elliott brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Department of Geography.
He held the title of professor of geography and was the longest-serving department chair. He also served as an advisor and the coordinator of WSU’s Ethnic Studies Program. Additionally, he was the past president of the Utah Geographical Society.
His research interests include: urban systems, historical geography and cardinal place analysis.
Elliott completed his B.A. in history with a minor in philosophy at San Francisco State University and then spent one year at Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia. He served several years as an infantry officer, and then he returned to San Francisco State University to complete his M.A. in cultural geography. While earning his master's degree, he also took courses from the University of California in Chinese. After completing his M.A., he taught in the California Community College system, where he earned his lifetime community college certification in earth science, geography and history. A few years later, he started work on his Ph.D. at University of Oklahoma, where he studied social geography with minors in anthropology and Far Eastern history. While completing his Ph.D., he also took several courses in computer programming from the University of Miami.
Upon completing his Ph.D., he was hired by WSU and has since earned various honors from students and faculty alike. His teaching experience is varied and extensive, having taught over 20 different classes in geography, history, military science and computer-related areas.
Elliott has had over 30 articles published in noted journals, including Geographical Analysis, Economic Geography, Urban Geography, Journal of Geography, Professional Geographer, Annals of Regional Science, Southeastern Geographer, Yearbook of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers and The California Geographer.
In addition, Elliott has presented over 40 research papers at professional meetings, including presentations at the annual conventions of the Association of American Geographers, Congres International de Geographie, National Council for Geographic Education, California Council for Geographic Education, Florida Society of Geographers, Southwestern Social Science Association, Oklahoma Academy of Sciences, Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, American Congress of Surveying and Mapping, Great Plains-Rocky Mountain AAG, Western Social Science Association and Utah Geographical Society. He is also a member of several national and international professional organizations, such as the National Council on Geographic Education, Association of American Geographers, International Geographic Union and the American Geographical Society.
Elliott recently completed a population database of every county in the US since 1610.
His primary teaching interests include:
- Historical and cultural geography
- World regional geography
- Geography of China and Japan
- Geography of the United States and Canada
- Geography of Europe
- Geography of India and the Middle East
- Urban geography
Dr. Elliott is active in keeping alive the proud Scottish ancestry of northern Utah.
