Ernest G. Draper
Ernest Gallaudet Draper | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1885 Washington, DC, United States |
| Died | 1954 |
| Occupation(s) | Author, government official |
| Years active | 1906–1950 |
| Known for | Assistant Secretary of Commerce; Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors |
Ernest Gallaudet Draper, also known as Ernest G. Draper (1885–1954), was an author and served as assistant secretary of commerce within the United States Department of Commerce. He was a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from March 30, 1938, until his retirement on September 1, 1950.
Early life and career
Draper was born in Washington, DC, and completed his undergraduate studies at Amherst College in 1906. He began his professional journey working as a clerk in New York City. Between 1912 and 1920, he held the position of president at American Creosoting Company, a firm specializing in the preservation of railroad ties for early 20th-century railroads. During World War I, from 1918 to 1919, Draper served as a senior grade lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve Force.
While serving in the Navy, Draper authored the naval textbook Lectures in Navigation and composed the official report titled A Plan for Maintaining the Naval Auxiliary Reserve After the War. His knowledge culminated in the 1919 release of Navigating the Ship, a navigation guide published by David Van Nostrand.
From 1920 through 1935, Draper functioned as treasurer and vice president at Hills Brothers Company, which specialized in date packing. In 1934, he became a member of the National Labor Board, and in 1936 he earned his master's degree from Amherst College.
Career
On August 5, 1935, Draper was designated assistant secretary of commerce by President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the United States Department of Commerce. Commerce Secretary Daniel C. Roper (1933–1938) remarked:
Mr. Draper has contributed significantly to the Business Advisory Council and has gained insight into the shared challenges that government and business strive to address collaboratively.
Subsequently, Roosevelt appointed him to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors starting March 30, 1938. During his tenure at the Board, Draper concentrated on issues affecting small businesses, authoring Small Business and Its Credit Problem for The Washington Post and co-writing Goods and Dollars in World Trade, published in the 1944 Federal Reserve Bulletin. He also represented the Federal Reserve before Congress and at various academic venues.
Draper was involved with numerous organizations related to labor, commerce, and economics:
- New York State Commission on Unemployment (1930–1935)
- New York City Art Commission
- National Labor Relations Board
- President's Commission on Crop Insurance
- American Economic Association
- Academy of Political Science
- Business Advisory Council of the U.S. Department of Commerce
His leadership positions included:
- President of the American Association for Labor Legislation
- President of the Brooklyn Federation of Community Centers
- Trustee at the Brooklyn Museum of Fine Arts
- Vice president of the American Management Association
Bibliography
| Title | Format | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navigating the Ship | Book | Author | 1920 |
| Can Business Prevent Unemployment | Book | Co-author | 1935 |
| Small Business and Its Credit Problem | Article | Author | 1939 |
| Methods of Minimizing the Effect of Business Depression on the Working Forces | Book | Co-author | 1941 |
| Goods and Dollars in World Trade | Article | Co-author | 1944 |
| Stirring Times, 1941-1949 | Book | Co-author | 1949 |