University of Illinois - Illio Yearbook (Urbana Champaign, IL)

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Hnbrew S. ©taper, %%% . Was born in Otsego County, New York, in 1848. He was educated in the public schools of Albany, the Old Albany Academy and the School of Law of Union University. He was admitted to the bar in 1871 and practiced law until 1884. He was a member of the New York legislature in 1881, and in 1884 was appointed by President Arthur and con- firmed by the Senate as one of the judges of the United States Court created to determine in individual claims against the $15,500,000 paid by Great Britain upon the Alabama claims. President Draper has always been active in educational work. He became, at a very early day, by appointment of the New York state board of regents, a trustee of the New York State College. While such a member new buildings were provided and the standing and work of the institution revolutionized. He was for several years a member of the board of education of the city of Albany. But perhaps his best known educational work was in the office of superintendent of public instruction of the State of New York, to which he was chosen by joint ballot of the legislature in 1886 and which he held until 1892. In that office he was largely instrumental in very generally reconstructing the educational machinery and in giving new direction and energy to the educational work of the Empire State. The work of all the normal schools and of the teachers ' institutes was placed upon a new footing. A state system of examinations for teachers ' certificates was inaugurated. The work of supervisory officers was regulated and energized, and all of the different educational interests of the state were brought into co-operative effort as never before in its history. While state superintendent he was an effective member of the New York state board of regents and of the board of trustees of Cornell University. At the close of his term as state superintendent, in 1892, President Draper was urged to accept the position of superintendent of instruction of the Cleveland (Ohio) public schools. The Ohio legislature had just enacted a law giving an entirely new and unique school organization to the city, and lodging the appointment and removal of teach- ers, the shaping of the course of study and the supervision of instruction exclusively in the hands of the superintendent. The appointment is for life. He agreed to accept it, but, Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me. — B. HazliTT 8

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