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

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three vears, and a member of the state committee for two years; a delegate to the national convention of 1884, and chairman of the executive committee in charge of the state campaign in the presidential contest of that year. In December, 1884, I was nominated bv the president and confirmed bv the senate to be one of the judges of the United States court constituted to hear the individual claims upon the Geneva award. The duty covered more than a vear of very severe labor and involved the adjudication of more than two thousand claims aggregating over $30,000,000. This work afforded the opportunity for quitting active politics, and it was seized upon. J was struck by politics rather severely; was fortunate in escaping without harm; think the experience was of advantage to me, and congratulate myself that I saw so much and got out so safely while yet so young. I was a member of the board of education of the city of Albany from 1878 to 1 88 1, and again from 1890 to 1893; a trustee of the New York State Normal College from 1 88 1 to 1886; state superintendent of public instruction, elected by the legislature, from 1886 to 1892, and as such a trustee of Cornell University and a regent of the University of the State of New York; received the honorarv degree of LL.D. from Colgate University in 1889, and was president of the department of superintendence of the National Educational association in 1889-90 and 1 890-91 ; was superintendent of instruction in the Cleveland, Ohio, public schools with unrestricted statutory power to appoint, assign and remove teachers from 1892 to 1894, and in the latter year was chosen president of the University of Illinois. In 1898, upon the consolidation of Greater New York, I was elected the first superintendent of schools of that city, but declined the position. Fortunately I have been obliged to break out the roads and earn mv living since four- teen years old; have had good health and never been out of work; have enjoyed the physical, intellectual and moral activities of life; am interested in sports, specially fascinated bv intellectual and physical contests, love the water and cannot understand the mental state which is indifferent to a good horse; have written considerable and made many addresses, but cannot expect that much I have done will live long after me, vet indulge the hope that little will be permanently laid up against me. It is not the most delightful thing to prepare one ' s own biographical sketch; but, since The Illio desires a sketch, have decided that it is as well to do that and admit it as to do it and pretend that it is the work of another. A. S. D. His cogitative faculties immersed in cogibundity of cogitation. — Professor Daniels. 13