Walter Ebling was born in Richfield, Wisconsin on January 15, 1892. He was a teacher in the public schools of Wisconsin from 1912 to 1917, and then attended the state university. He received a B.S.A. (Agriculture) degree from that school in 1922. Going on to graduate school, Mr. Ebling earned his M.S. in 1925 and his Ph.D. (Agricultural Economics) in 1929. While doing his graduate work he served as assistant to the dean of the College of Agriculture.
In the years following his graduation, Mr. Ebling made a name for himself in education, agricultural economics, government work, and youth work. From 1927 to July of 1959 he served as State Agricultural Statistician for both the state and national governments. During the depression of the 1930s he was on the Agricultural Adjustment Administration staff and later served as chairman of the research committee of the State Department of Agriculture (1948-1959). In 1951 Ebling received the Distinguished Service Award of the United States Department of Agriculture.
In addition to his government work, Ebling has been professor of agricultural economics at the University of Wisconsin since 1936, and in 1959 began a special research project at that institution.
In 1921 Ebling married; as his sons came of age he became interested in the YMCA and subsequently joined the Madison chapter in 1936. Over the years Mr. Ebling has served as chairman of the World Service Committee, on the Board of Directors, on the Board of Trustees, and as President. He was still a member as of 1960. In 1942 Ebling helped to organize and direct the Madison USO. He stayed with the organization until its end in 1946. From 1941 to 1942 Ebling was on the Wisconsin Board of the National Youth Administration (NYA).
