Edwin Packard Halsey, former assistant in American History here, was found dead yesterday at the home of his father-in-law at Haverford, Pennsylvania, the United Press reported last night. Police said Halsey had apparently shot himself with a target pistol.

Graduating from Princeton in 1924, Halsey received his M.A. degree here in 1939. He served as assistant in History 62 in 1938-9 and received a travelling fellowship from the University in the following year.

Halsey had been on furlough from Harvard, authorities said, and was working on a thesis for his Ph.D. degree. He had been living with his father-in-law, Caspar M. Morris, since shortly before Christmas.