A. S. (Andrew Sloan) Draper

author

A. S. (Andrew Sloan) Draper

1848–1913

A forceful voice in American public education, this New York lawyer turned educator helped reshape state school systems at the turn of the twentieth century. He led the University of Illinois and later became the first Commissioner of Education for New York State.

1 Audiobook

Report of the Committee of Fifteen Read at the Cleveland Meeting of the Department of Superintendence, February 19-21, 1884, with the Debate

Report of the Committee of Fifteen Read at the Cleveland Meeting of the Department of Superintendence, February 19-21, 1884, with the Debate

by William Torrey Harris, A. S. (Andrew Sloan) Draper, H. S. (Horace Sumner) Tarbell

About the author

Born in Westford, New York, in 1848, he studied at the Albany Academy and Albany Law School before beginning his career in law and politics. Over time, his work shifted toward education, where he became known as a strong administrator and a determined advocate for public schools.

He served as Superintendent of Public Instruction in New York and then, from 1894 to 1904, led the University of Illinois as its president. In 1904 he was chosen as the first Commissioner of Education for New York State after the state reorganized its educational system, placing him at the center of major policy and administration work.

Draper was also a prolific writer and speaker on education. He died in 1913, but he remained well known for his influence on school governance and for the energy he brought to building more organized public institutions.