BIO: Andrew Sloan Draper; New York State
surname: Draper, Sloan, Lyon

submitted by W. David Samuelsen (no relation)
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Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm
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An Illustrated Legislative Manual
The New York Red Book
Containing the Portraits and Biographies of the U.S. Senators, Governor, State
Officers and Members of the Legislature; also with the Portraits of Judges and
Court Reporters, the New Constitution of the State, Election and Population
Statistics, and General Facts of Interest.
By Edgar L. Murlin
New Constitution Compiled by R. C. Cumming, O. L. Potter and F. B. Gilbert
Published, Albany, J. B. Lyon Company, Publishers, 1909

Copyright by J. B. Lyon Company, 1909

     Andrew Sloan Draper, the Commmissioner of Education, was bornat
Westford,Otsego county, N.Y., June 21, 1848, the son of Sylvester Bigelow and
Jane (Sloan) Draper. On his father's side he is descended in direct line from
James Draper "The Purtian," who settled at Roxbury, Mass., in 1646. His mother
was Scotch-Irish, her parents coming from the North of Ireland in 1812. One of
his grandfathers was a soldier in King Philip's war and another was a soldier
in the Revolution. He attended the Albany public schools and graduated from
the Albany Academy in 1866, and from the Albany Law School (Union University)
with the degree of LL. B. in 1871. He taught in the Albany Academy and othe
rinstitutions 1866-70; was a member of the law firm of Draper & Chester, 1871-
86; member of the Board of Education, 1879-81; member of the Legislature in
1881; member of the State Normal College Board, 1882-86; Judge of the U.S.
Court of Alabama Claims, 1884-86; State Superintendent of Public Instruction,
1886-92; Superintendent of Instruction of Cleveland, Ohio, public schools,
1892-94; President of the National Association of School Superintendents,
1889-91; President of the University of Illinois, 1894-1904; and in 1903-4 was
President of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
Upon the unification of two State educational departments in New York, he was
recalled to his native State and made the first Commissioner of Education, by
the Legislature in 1904. He declined in 1882 the position of Assistant United
States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, and also the positiono
f Superintendent of Schools of the Greater City of New York, to which he was
elected in 1898.

     Dr. Draper received the honoary degree of LL.D., from Colgate University
in 1889, from Columbia University in 1903, and from the University of Illinois
upon the installation of his successor as president in 1905. He is a member of
the Chicago Historical Society and of the State Historical Societies of New
York, Illinois, and Wisconsin; has written much ans spoken in every part of
the country on educational themes, and is the author of a book on "The Rescue
of Cuba." He received the silver medal of the Paris Exposition for his
monograph on "Educational Organization and Administration in the United
States;" and he was awarded the gold medal and two commemorative diplomas for
his educational writings, and one of the two grand prizes conferred by the St.
Louis International Exposition, for conspicuous service to education. He was
Chairman of the Department of Education of the International Econgresses at
the St. Louis Exposition. In 1902 he was appointed by President Roosvelt a
member of the U.S. Board of Indian Commissioners. In 1872 he married Miss
Abbie Louise Lyon, of New Britain, Connecticut, and they have two children,
Charlotte Leland and Edwin Lyon. The family residence is at 133 Lake avenue,
Albany, N.Y.