Herman B Wells was born on June 7, 1902, in Jamestown, Indiana to Joseph and Anna Wells. In 1920, he graduated from Lebanon High School. Wells initially enrolled at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign but transferred to Indiana University in 1921 at the beginning of his sophomore year. While a student at IU, he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity, treasurer of the Union Board, member of the YMCA Cabinet, and business manager of the YMCA Red Book. Wells graduated from IU in 1924 with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce. After graduation, Wells worked as an assistant bank cashier at the First National Bank of Lebanon, Indiana for two years before continuing his education at IU. He graduated in 1927 with a Master of Arts in Economics. Wells began studying for his Ph.D. in Economics at University of Wisconsin-Madison but left school to take a job with the Indiana Bankers Association.

In 1930, Wells became an instructor in IU's Department of Economics and Sociology in addition to working for the IBA. He became Assistant Professor in Economics in 1933 but took a two year leave of absence from IU to work for the Indiana Department for Financial Institutions. In 1935, Wells returned to IU and was appointed dean of the business school. After the retirement of IU President William Lowe Bryan, Wells became interim president in 1937 and was elected the 11th President of Indiana University in 1938. Under the leadership of President Wells, IU transformed from a small, locally oriented college to a world-class institution of higher learning through expanded enrollment, recruitment of new faculty, construction of new buildings, new program efforts, and campus beautification projects. He was a steadfast supporter of IU's faculty and students especially in the areas of academic freedom and civil rights. In 1962, Wells retired as IU's president and was named Chancellor of Indiana University, the first to hold that position. His primary duties as chancellor included special projects, fundraising, conferring with private donors, administrative duties, attending cultural and athletic events, and acting as senior advisor to the university. After the resignation of IU President Elvis Stahr, Wells served as IU's interim president from July to November 1968. While chancellor, Wells wrote his autobiography Being Lucky: Reminiscences and Reflections which was published in 1980. He maintained an office at IU until his death on March 18, 2000, at the age of 97.

In addition to his roles at Indiana University, Wells held many appointed positions over the course of his career. He served as an economic analyst for the U.S. State Department's Office of Foreign Economic Cooperation from 1943-1944, as cultural affairs adviser to the U.S. Military Government in West Germany from 1947 to 1948, and as adviser to the Ministry of Pakistan in 1959 among other appointments. Wells was a member and served in leadership roles for several education foundations. He was a member of presidential committees on overseas voluntary activities and U.S.-Soviet trade relations.

Wells was the recipient of numerous honors and awards including twenty-eight honorary degrees. Since 1962, Indiana University has given the Herman B Wells Senior Recognition Award annually to an IU senior who exhibits a strong academic record, as well as leadership and service to the university. The IU Foundation established the Herman B Wells Scholar Program which provides four-year academic scholarships to a selective group of IU Bloomington students. The main library at IU Bloomington was named the Herman B Wells Library in his honor in 2005.

Please see the biography by James Capshew available online at: http://www.indiana.edu/~libarch/Wells/wellsbio.html