Warren Fales Draper
Encyclopedia
Warren Fales Draper was Assistant Surgeon General and later Deputy Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service. After graduating from Harvard Medical School
in 1910 Draper entered the Public Health Service, completing a two-year tour on the west coast followed by assignments near Washington D.C. During World War I
he was commissioned by the U. S. Army as a sanitation officer, working at Camp Lee and Newport News, both in Virginia
, and then conducting relief activities during influenza
outbreaks in New England
and Pennsylvania
. Dr. Draper returned to the Public Health Service in 1919, and in 1922 was promoted to Assistant Surgeon General ahead of his peers. When the Virginia State Commissioner of Health died in 1931, the state's governor borrowed Dr. Draper to fill the position, which he did for three years. Five years after once again returning to the Public Health Service, in 1939, Draper was appointed as the Deputy Surgeon General, which position he held until his retirement.
During World War II
, Draper was brought into the United States Army with the rank of brigadier general
, and served in Europe
under General
Dwight D. Eisenhower
as a member of the Civil Affairs
Branch of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
(SHAEF). Put in charge of the Public Health division, he was quickly promoted to major general
, and received recognition for his work with the vexing public health issues created by the war, and their impact on the ability of the Allies
to fight. Dr. Draper returned to the Public Health Service after the war, and retired from that organization in 1947.
Shortly after his retirement he became the assistant vice president for health services for the American Red Cross
, but in 1948 was named the executive medical officer for the United Mine Workers
(UMW) Welfare and Retirement Fund. Under his supervision, the fund created ten union-operated hospitals in coal mining regions of Kentucky
, Virginia, and West Virginia
. His two-decade tenure with this program brought him recognition and awards from the medical community. He retired from this position with the UMW in September 1969, but continued with the union as the special assistant in the newly formed UMW Department of Occupational Health until his death in 1970.
Doctor Draper was influential in many professional organizations and was the president
of several of them. He lectured at a number of medical schools, authored 61 articles on public health
and preventive medicine
, and co-authored several books and pamphlets. His humanity, humor, compassion and warmth of character are evident in many of his writings, and in the words of those who knew him.
, Massachusetts
on August 9, 1883, the son of William Burgess Draper (May 16, 1852 – March 11, 1939) and Carrie Marie Drew (October 3, 1856 – February 8, 1924). His father was a businessman and somewhat of an inventor who became financially independent when he divided a property he owned in Boston
and sold it off as house lots. His grandfather, Daniel Fisher Draper (1822–1874), was a dentist who had a successful practice in Cambridge until chronic poor lung health resulted in his premature death. Draper had one sibling, his younger brother Elwyn Burgess Draper who, after serving in the United States Navy
during World War I
, was a career businessman.
Draper was named for his grandfather's oldest brother, the first Warren Fales Draper (1818–1905), who flourished in the publishing business in Andover, Massachusetts
for nearly fifty years. Being successful in his trade, and having no children, the earlier Warren Draper made substantial gifts to his church and local schools and provided scholarships to aspiring students. The family descends from James Draper, known as "James the Puritan" who emigrated from Yorkshire
, England to Roxbury, Massachusetts about 1647.
As children, Draper and his younger brother Elwyn grew up in Cambridge, and later moved to Newton Highlands, Massachusetts. Draper spent his summers working on a farm near Liberty, Maine
belonging to friends of his parents, where he earned no money, but learned the value of hard work. He attended Newton High School
for two years, but wanted to go to college with two of his very close friends who were a year ahead of him. In order to graduate a year ahead of schedule, he took some summer courses and then completed his high school requirements in a single year at Waban School for Boys where he also participated in a variety of sports. In 1902 he graduated from high school, and later that year began his studies at Amherst College
. Draper was attracted to Amherst because he was provided a scholarship covering tuition costs from his namesake who had graduated from there in 1848. Draper thought Amherst to be an exceptional school, but considered himself a mediocre student because of his other wide-ranging interests, such as attending fraternity parties, skating, and canoeing, usually with his future wife who was in the same year class at Smith College
. Draper had wanted to be a medical doctor since he was a youngster, and upon graduating from Amherst in 1906, he began his studies at Harvard Medical School
.
During his first two years of medical school Draper lived at home, but for his final two years he and a roommate rented a place near the school and hospital. Shortly before his graduation he was married in Detroit, Michigan
on April 6, 1910, to Margaret Gansevoort Maxon (October 29, 1883 – April 28, 1967), the daughter of William D. and Anna (Lush) Maxon of Detroit, but originally from Waterford, New York
. Margaret had attended Smith College in Northampton
, Massachusetts, earning a bachelor of arts
degree in classics
. A month after his marriage, Draper earned his MD
degree, then went to Washington D.C. to take the United States Public Health Service
entrance exam. In June, he and Margaret went to a summer cottage in Morrisville, Vermont
awaiting the exam results and news of his first assignment.
. Having seldom been far from their homes, Draper and his wife traveled the scenic route to the West Coast by taking the Canadian Pacific Railway
over the Rocky Mountains
to Vancouver
, followed by a boat trip to Seattle, and then another train to San Francisco.
Work at the quarantine station involved meeting and boarding ships arriving from Asia, and inspecting all of the passengers for plague, yellow fever
, small pox, typhus
, and leprocy. If any individuals were suspected of having any of these diseases, they were taken to the station for quarantine. If an active case of small pox was found, then the entire passenger and crew population of the ship was put into quarantine.
In April 1911 Draper received orders for a tour as Ship's Surgeon on the Coast Guard
cutter
Bear
, which assignment would last until Thanksgiving. Still being a newlywed, Draper was distraught over the pending separation from his wife and began questioning his suitability to the Public Health Service. He considered getting out of the service then, but could not financially withstand being without a job. He and his wife decided to visit the ship and had lunch with the crew members who were very kind to the couple. Following this, Margaret told Draper he should do the tour, and that she would be fine. Draper was still unsure of his suitability to the health service, and before sailing he had a talk with the regional Public Health Service representative in San Francisco, Dr. Rupert Blue
. Dr. Blue was very understanding and told Draper to see him when his ship tour was over.
Once underway, the Bear followed the West Coast of the United States
from San Diego, California
to Point Barrow, Alaska. Draper was able to make home visits to ailing Eskimos in many villages on the ship's ports of call. Upon completion of the tour, he became the resident physician at San Francisco Immigration Hospital. He was not able to revisit Dr. Blue, who had since left to become the Surgeon General
following the death of Dr. Walter Wyman
. Blue had not forgotten Draper, however, and made arrangements for him to attend a "refresher course" at the Hygienic Laboratory in Washington D.C.
. Students who were successful in the course and showed an aptitude for research could spend several years or even a career doing scientific research. This appealed to Draper at this point in his life since he had just spent two years traveling extensively, and with a pregnant wife he liked the prospect of settling down in one place for a while. However, this assignment would be short-lived for Draper, for a reason best put into his own words:
As events transpired, the laboratory director walked in, received a confession from the instigator, and following a short office visit let Draper know that he did not have the spirit for scientific research, and would not be going into that field. While Draper thought this a tragedy at the time, he later looked at it as a great turning point in his career, freeing him for work that would eventually bring him prominence in his profession. Draper was allowed to finish the course, after which one of his older classmates, Dr. Hugh Cumming, was put in charge of a scientific study of shellfish and water pollution. Cumming then put Draper in charge of a small laboratory in Colonial Beach, Virginia
where he spent the next year studying the bacteriological contamination of oysters in the Potomac River
. Since both Washington D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia
dumped their raw sewage into the river, Draper was to answer the question of whether oysters were affected 68 miles downstream. He discovered that the pollution had been neutralized by natural processes much further upstream, and thus had no effect where he ran most of his tests. The study was important to ease fears that pollution might be affecting the extensive oyster beds near Point Lookout, Maryland
, much further downstream.
Following his year at Colonial Beach, Draper returned to the headquarters of the Public Health Service in Washington D.C. and became the assistant to the Chief of Scientific Research., Dr. John W. Kerr, in the Surgeon General's office. Here he helped in the administration of scientific research programs and the Hygienic Laboratory. During this time, Draper participated in a study in Fulton County
, Georgia
designed to both improve the living conditions of convicts while simultaneously reducing the per capita cost of maintaining them. He co-authored a pamphlet on this study published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1918.
broke out, Draper was assigned as an officer with the U. S. Army and was put in charge of sanitation at Camp Lee, Virginia
. He worked closely with the local Health Department, primarily on the two biggest health issues involving the troops: venereal diseases and typhoid fever, both great menaces in 1917. While working at Camp Lee, Draper lived in a boarding house in Petersburg
with his wife and young son.
His tenure at Camp Lee was short, and he was soon called to undertake similar work at the port in Newport News, Virginia where troops embarked for the war in Europe. He was primarily brought in to help resolve a management situation involving health service personnel, and with his easy-going manner but competent management skills was able to get things working smoothly, bringing praises from headquarters in Washington. Again, Draper's service in Newport News was shortened when influenza
broke out in New England
, and he was put in charge of relief efforts there. This outbreak of the flu became global in scope and developed into one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history, giving Draper a great respect for the disease. He at first worked in Boston
and sometimes sat in on the staff meetings of Massachusetts
Governor Calvin Coolidge
when an update on the flu situation was needed.
Without the availability of antibiotics at the time, medical personnel found that it was beneficial to get the flu victims out of crowded hospitals, where many of them would die, and into tents where they would get a lot more fresh air. According to Draper, "if we could bed [the patients] down in tents which were furnished by the National Guard, more of them lived. If we got them into bed in the early stages of the disease the chances of living were far better. If they stayed around for two or three days, and finally went to bed, because they couldn't do anything else—they would very likely die."
While in Massachusetts, Draper worked out of the State House in Boston, and had several regional directors working under his overall supervision. Members of his staff came from a variety of sources, including the Public Health Service, the Hygienic Laboratory, and the American Red Cross
. He assigned different members of his staff to the areas with the greatest need, and during the epidemic he also worked in different locations including Connecticut
, Rhode Island
, and Pennsylvania
. One night during his time in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Draper was awakened in the middle of the night by raucous noise from a fire engine, and discovered there was no fire, but rather a celebration stemming from the announcement of the armistice
ending the World War.
, eventually removed Draper from this job, and gave him a choice of two other jobs instead. The one chosen by Draper was to work with Dr. Ennion G. Williams, the Virginia State Health Commissioner, to organize county health departments within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Draper became a close friend of Dr. Williams, and made stump speeches all over the state talking to civic groups and any other organization that might be helpful. The program combined federal and state funds with whatever local funding could be obtained to bring a full time health officer into as many counties as possible.
Draper's tenure in Virginia was so successful that in 1922, when Dr. Hugh Cumming became the Surgeon General, Draper was brought onto his staff and put in charge of the States Relations Division where he would work with the health departments of each state. With only twelve years in the Public Health Service, Dr. Draper was promoted to Assistant Surgeon General, possibly becoming the youngest member of the Public Health Service to reach this position up to that time. Draper became very involved in working with state health departments, and deeply interested in helping states get appropriations from congress to develop county health departments through which better control of disease could be carried on. In a 1963 interview he said "I don't think there was a state health officer that I didn't call by his first name and who didn't call me by my first name too." In September 1926, Draper was assigned as assistant surgeon general in charge of domestic quarantine, continuing to maintain his close ties and collaboration with the various state health departments. In 1949, after Draper's retirement from the Public Health Service, he was given an award of recognition from the Conference of State and Provincial Health Associations of North America for his long and meritorious public health service.
to temporarily fill the vacant position, arousing political ire over the selection of someone from outside the state. The governor, himself irritated by the criticism, had these words to say:
Complaints about Draper being from out of state were hardly valid. Not only was he living in Cherrydale in Arlington County, Virginia at the time of selection, he had lived in Virginia while doing work at the two military installations during World War I and lived there again after the war while organizing county health departments, residing in Richmond
in 1921 when his daughter was born. The governor also pointed out to his critics that specialists in the field of preventive medicine were scarce compared to practicing physicians, and it was not unusual for these specialists to go where there was a demand. Dr. Thomas Parran
, from Maryland
, for example, was an Assistant Surgeon General in the Public Health Service who was sent to New York
to be the state Health Commissioner under Governor
Franklin D. Roosevelt
.
One of Draper's biggest challenges as the state health commissioner was to get appropriations from state legislatures for public health. He had the worst time trying to get money for the control of venereal diseases because, as he said in a 1963 interview:
Draper had to work very carefully in regards to venereal disease control, but other aspects of his tenure as Virginia's health commissioner worked very smoothly. The state kept a close liaison with the Hygeneic Laboratory when problems arose which they could not handle, and the laboratory would sometimes send experts down to help them, and at other times Virginia would send its practitioners to the Hygeneic Laboratory for some brushing up or further training. Draper's time as Virginia's Health Commissioner ended in 1934 when he returned to the headquarters of the Public Health Service. One of the big initiatives within this organization in the next two years, spearheaded by Dr. Parran
, was to bring the plight of venereal diseases into the public domain where it could be discussed and handled openly. A humorous outcome of this occurred when Draper was selected to speak to a woman's organization, and he called the secretary of the group ahead of time to find out if he could discuss venereal diseases. The secretary responded, "...indeed! We want you to discuss them. You know, you in the Public Health Service have made syphilis respectable."
in 1936. The same year he selected Dr. Thomas Parran
to be the Surgeon General of the United States
. Three years later, in 1939, Draper was selected as the Deputy Surgeon General, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1947, working under Dr. Parran for the entire duration. The division within the Surgeon General's headquarters responsible for liaison with the states, where Draper had been in charge, was then turned over to Dr. Joseph Mountin.
As the Second World War progressed in Europe
from 1939 to 1941, the direct involvement of the United States appeared imminent. While isolationists
clamored against U.S. involvement, the attack on Pearl Harbor
in December 1941 put an end to such sentiments, and the subsequent declaration of war against the United States by Germany
and Italy
allowed for a clean entry by the Americans into the European Theater. Planning for the invasion of Europe began almost immediately, but the organization of the invasion force did not materialize until early in 1944. On January 15 of that year the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
(SHAEF) was created with the mission to invade Europe and destroy the German armed forces.
Reports from Europe indicated that the public health situation was dire, and that prompt action was imperative. A highly qualified medical officer was needed to direct the Public Health Division of the Civil Affairs
Branch (G-5) of the newly-formed headquarters. Because all of the senior Army medical officers with competence in this field were already holding highly important positions, the Army turned to Dr. Parran, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, who agreed to release his deputy, Dr. Draper, for assignment to SHAEF. On April 26, 1944, Draper became a member of General Dwight Eisenhower's staff as the Chief of the Public Health Branch and the top public health adviser for SHAEF with the rank of brigadier general
. He reported with his new assistant, Colonel William Wilson, to London
on May 8, 1944, and in less than two months, on July 1, 1944, he was promoted to major general
.
The G-5 (Civil Affairs) branch had been established to handle the urgent issues created by the war on civilian populations. The European populace became overrun so fast by invading armies that the destruction and disruption of civilian life and institutions became great enough to impede the progress of the fighting forces. The primary objective of the G-5 was to further military effort by meeting emergency needs and maintaining civilian institutions. General Draper would have an integral role in meeting this objective, using a staff which included competent specialists in the fields of communicable disease control, nutrition
, sanitary engineering
, public health nursing
, narcotic drugs control, veterinary disease
control, and general health inspection. Some of the specific health situations faced by General Draper and his staff were venereal disease, typhus
brought about by louse
infestations, typhoid fever, malnutrition
, and the generally horrific living conditions endured by refugees and many people living under German occupation.
While Draper would receive recognition for his handling of health issues in Europe during the ensuing year, things did not always go smoothly. The Public Health Branch was an advisory agency, but sometimes acted as an operating body, resulting in some misunderstandings, and criticism that the branch was sometimes presumptuous in its actions. When public health issues arose, only those that were considered detrimental to the warfighting mission could have resources allocated, and this required some difficult decisions on the part of the public health branch staff.
Upon completing his tour in Europe on June 1, 1945, Draper received a number of awards from different countries. He was made an "Honorary Companion of the Bath
" by order of his majesty, King George VI of England, with the award presented at a ceremony in London by Air Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder. Other awards he received for his service were the Croix de Guerre
with palm from France
, the Grand Officer Order of Orange-Nassau
from Holland, and the Grand Officer Order of Leopold II
from Belgium
. From the United States Draper received the Distinguished Service Medal
, which citation reads as follows:
After returning to the United States in 1945, Dr. Draper resumed his post as Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service, in Bethesda, Maryland
. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1947, when he became briefly employed by the American Red Cross
as assistant vice president for health services.
Following his career with the Public Health Service, Draper went to work for the Health Services Division of the American Red Cross
. They had a mandatory retirement age of 65, so when he reached this age in 1948 he planned to become a volunteer there. However, he was soon contacted by the United Mine Workers
of America, and accepted an offer to help them administer a new welfare and retirement fund. He was brought on as the executive medical officer of this fund's medical care program, and was given the daunting task of planning and directing health care for nearly one and a half million miners and their family members. A guiding principle of the program was that development and operation of the medical programs rested in the hands of medical professionals, as opposed to non-medical administrators.
While the fund used existing hospitals to the maximum extent possible, in many mining areas there were no hospitals within reasonable distance of the coal mines, and medical services to coalminers tended to be of inferior quality in those areas. The fund at first paid fees to doctors, but the question of unnecessary and incompetent surgery soon arose publicly. Draper wrote in 1953, "As there were no indications that the deplorable conditions of the past would not extend indefinitely into the future, the fund had no other recourse than to arrange for the establishment of new hospitals in some of the areas in which [the] most desparate need existed." This need led to the establishment of the Memorial Hospital Associations of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia, and the building of ten new hospitals. These associations were non-profit organizations established in accordance with the respective laws of the individual states, and were financed through a production royalty on coal tonnage.
While criticisms were launched at the plan as being socialized medicine, John L. Lewis
, the President of the United Mine Workers had this to say:
The program had both its merits and its downsides. On the positive side, in the field of rehabilitation alone, thousands of crippled miners had been restored to usefulness and re-employment. Dr. Draper wrote in a 1953 article, "the arduous, costly task of restoring men with crushed limbs and backs in the terrible toll of the coal mines is one of the finest chapters in the history of medicine." On the negative side, with a program of this extent there were physicians who were not competent to provide the quality of service needed, and those who rendered needless or poorly advised services. Some physicians had a monopoly on certain services in certain areas and charged exhorbitant fees, while others took advantage of emergency situations, charging coal miners rates that they would charge their wealthiest clients. Nevertheless, Draper wrote in 1953, the physicians associated with the fund had done a great amount to improve the standard of medical practice in coal mining areas. Overall, the program was considered to be a success; so successful, in fact, that in 1956 it was given the Albert Lasker Group Award
. While the fund continued to serve miners for decades to come, it was forced to give up its hospitals in 1964 from rising costs that it could no longer control.
In an article that Draper wrote in the Military Surgeon in 1948 he stated, "I could not know, of course, that the climax of my career was to come in the form of a request from the War Department
to serve in World War II
as Chief of Public Health on General Eisenhower's staff in the European Theatre of Operations." In 1968 Dr. David Goldstein modified this notion by writing, "He did not know then, of course, that perhaps his greatest contribution in the course of his professional career was in his role as Exectutive Medical Officer, Welfare and Retirement Fund, United Mine Workers of America..."
Dr. Draper continued to manage the medical program of the UMW's Welfare and Retirement Fund until retiring from that role in 1969 when he was 86 years old. He continued his affiliation with the union, however, as the special assistant in the newly formed Department of Occupational Health until his death the following year. He died on March 19, 1970, at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington D.C. and was buried next to his wife and near his son at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia
.
, Jefferson Medical College, the University of Michigan
, and Johns Hopkins University
. He was a member of the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association
from 1925 to 1946 and a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners
from 1942 to 1948. He was the president of the Washington Academy of Medicine, Washington D.C., and a president and life member of the Association of Military Surgeons. Draper received a doctor of science degree from Amherst College
in 1946. He wrote 61 articles concerning public health
administration and preventive medicine
, co-authored several books and pamphlets, and had twenty speeches reprinted.
In 1956, eight years after Dr. Draper became the Executive Medical Officer of the United Mine Workers Welfare and Retirement fund, this medical care program was honored with the Albert Lasker Group Award
, being recognized as a model program of health services to a million and a half mine workers and their families. In 1965 the American Medical Association
Council on Occupational Health presented a citation to Dr. Draper "in recognition of his devotion and tireless efforts ... in promoting the health of all working people."
Dr. Draper's writings and speeches reveal a man of great character and humor. In introducing Draper as the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Ramazzini Society in 1967, Dr. David Goldstein wrote, "His personal warmth, his compassion, his delightful sense of humor, his deep qualities of humility and humanity add to his stature as a scientist and a man of outstanding professional performance, and characterize him as one of the finest human beings I have ever known."
staff during World War II
:
In addition to the above awards, Dr. Draper's Medical Care Program with the United Mine Workers was given the Albert Lasker Group Award in 1956, eight years after Draper became the executive medical officer for the program.
, New York
in April 1941 to Edwyna Louise Davis, born in Syracuse on January 7, 1917, the daughter of Edward Stephen and Louise Catherine (Ecker) Davis. Warren received an undergraduate degree in English literature from Amherst College
in 1935 and a Doctor of Medicine degree from George Washington University
four years later. He worked for the U.S. Public Health Service until his death in Washington D.C. in May 1943 from a brain tumor, and is buried in Columbia Gardens Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia. He and his wife had one son born after his death.
The second child, Anne Gansevoort Draper, was born in Richmond
, Virginia
on August 17, 1921, and received a degree in Economics
from Smith College
, Northampton
, Massachusetts
in 1943. She worked as an economist
for the National War Labor Board
, the Office of Price Administration
, the Social Security Administration
, and finally for the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) until her retirement in the late 1990s. She did not marry, and lived with her parents, continuing to occupy their house at 4710 25th Street in Arlington County after they died, until her own death on March 3, 2001. She is buried in Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington near her brother and parents.
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
in 1910 Draper entered the Public Health Service, completing a two-year tour on the west coast followed by assignments near Washington D.C. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he was commissioned by the U. S. Army as a sanitation officer, working at Camp Lee and Newport News, both in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and then conducting relief activities during influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
outbreaks in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Dr. Draper returned to the Public Health Service in 1919, and in 1922 was promoted to Assistant Surgeon General ahead of his peers. When the Virginia State Commissioner of Health died in 1931, the state's governor borrowed Dr. Draper to fill the position, which he did for three years. Five years after once again returning to the Public Health Service, in 1939, Draper was appointed as the Deputy Surgeon General, which position he held until his retirement.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Draper was brought into the United States Army with the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
, and served in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
under General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
as a member of the Civil Affairs
Civil Affairs
Civil Affairs is a term used by both the United Nations and by military institutions , but for different purposes in each case.-United Nations Civil Affairs:...
Branch of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force , was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of SHAEF throughout its existence...
(SHAEF). Put in charge of the Public Health division, he was quickly promoted to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, and received recognition for his work with the vexing public health issues created by the war, and their impact on the ability of the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
to fight. Dr. Draper returned to the Public Health Service after the war, and retired from that organization in 1947.
Shortly after his retirement he became the assistant vice president for health services for the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, but in 1948 was named the executive medical officer for the United Mine Workers
United Mine Workers
The United Mine Workers of America is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners and coal technicians. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada...
(UMW) Welfare and Retirement Fund. Under his supervision, the fund created ten union-operated hospitals in coal mining regions of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Virginia, and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. His two-decade tenure with this program brought him recognition and awards from the medical community. He retired from this position with the UMW in September 1969, but continued with the union as the special assistant in the newly formed UMW Department of Occupational Health until his death in 1970.
Doctor Draper was influential in many professional organizations and was the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of several of them. He lectured at a number of medical schools, authored 61 articles on public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
and preventive medicine
Preventive medicine
Preventive medicine or preventive care refers to measures taken to prevent diseases, rather than curing them or treating their symptoms...
, and co-authored several books and pamphlets. His humanity, humor, compassion and warmth of character are evident in many of his writings, and in the words of those who knew him.
Ancestry and early life
Warren Fales Draper was born in CambridgeCambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
on August 9, 1883, the son of William Burgess Draper (May 16, 1852 – March 11, 1939) and Carrie Marie Drew (October 3, 1856 – February 8, 1924). His father was a businessman and somewhat of an inventor who became financially independent when he divided a property he owned in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and sold it off as house lots. His grandfather, Daniel Fisher Draper (1822–1874), was a dentist who had a successful practice in Cambridge until chronic poor lung health resulted in his premature death. Draper had one sibling, his younger brother Elwyn Burgess Draper who, after serving in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was a career businessman.
Draper was named for his grandfather's oldest brother, the first Warren Fales Draper (1818–1905), who flourished in the publishing business in Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
for nearly fifty years. Being successful in his trade, and having no children, the earlier Warren Draper made substantial gifts to his church and local schools and provided scholarships to aspiring students. The family descends from James Draper, known as "James the Puritan" who emigrated from Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England to Roxbury, Massachusetts about 1647.
As children, Draper and his younger brother Elwyn grew up in Cambridge, and later moved to Newton Highlands, Massachusetts. Draper spent his summers working on a farm near Liberty, Maine
Liberty, Maine
Liberty is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 927 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:...
belonging to friends of his parents, where he earned no money, but learned the value of hard work. He attended Newton High School
Newton North High School
Newton North High School, formerly Newton High School, is the larger and longer-established of two public high schools in Newton, Massachusetts, with about 2,000 students, the other being Newton South High School. It is located in the village of Newtonville...
for two years, but wanted to go to college with two of his very close friends who were a year ahead of him. In order to graduate a year ahead of schedule, he took some summer courses and then completed his high school requirements in a single year at Waban School for Boys where he also participated in a variety of sports. In 1902 he graduated from high school, and later that year began his studies at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
. Draper was attracted to Amherst because he was provided a scholarship covering tuition costs from his namesake who had graduated from there in 1848. Draper thought Amherst to be an exceptional school, but considered himself a mediocre student because of his other wide-ranging interests, such as attending fraternity parties, skating, and canoeing, usually with his future wife who was in the same year class at Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
. Draper had wanted to be a medical doctor since he was a youngster, and upon graduating from Amherst in 1906, he began his studies at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
.
During his first two years of medical school Draper lived at home, but for his final two years he and a roommate rented a place near the school and hospital. Shortly before his graduation he was married in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on April 6, 1910, to Margaret Gansevoort Maxon (October 29, 1883 – April 28, 1967), the daughter of William D. and Anna (Lush) Maxon of Detroit, but originally from Waterford, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Margaret had attended Smith College in Northampton
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, Massachusetts, earning a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
. A month after his marriage, Draper earned his MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree, then went to Washington D.C. to take the United States Public Health Service
United States Public Health Service
The Public Health Service Act of 1944 structured the United States Public Health Service as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare , which later became the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The PHS comprises all Agency Divisions of Health and...
entrance exam. In June, he and Margaret went to a summer cottage in Morrisville, Vermont
Morrisville, Vermont
Morrisville is a village in Morristown, Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,009. Morrisville has 2 country clubs, a hospital, a school featuring Greek architecture and an airport. The hospital and one of the country clubs are named after...
awaiting the exam results and news of his first assignment.
West Coast duty
Draper finished second on the Public Health Service exam, out of about 25 examinees, and in August 1910 reported to his first assignment at the quarantine station on Angel Island in the San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. Having seldom been far from their homes, Draper and his wife traveled the scenic route to the West Coast by taking the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
over the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, followed by a boat trip to Seattle, and then another train to San Francisco.
Work at the quarantine station involved meeting and boarding ships arriving from Asia, and inspecting all of the passengers for plague, yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
, small pox, typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
, and leprocy. If any individuals were suspected of having any of these diseases, they were taken to the station for quarantine. If an active case of small pox was found, then the entire passenger and crew population of the ship was put into quarantine.
In April 1911 Draper received orders for a tour as Ship's Surgeon on the Coast Guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
cutter
United States Coast Guard Cutter
Cutter is the term used by the United States Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. A Cutter is or greater in length, has a permanently assigned crew, and has accommodations for the crew to live aboard...
Bear
Bear (ship)
The Bear was a dual steam-powered and sailing ship built with six inch thick sides which had a long life in various cold-water and ice-filled environs. She was a forerunner of modern icebreakers and had an exceptionally diverse service life...
, which assignment would last until Thanksgiving. Still being a newlywed, Draper was distraught over the pending separation from his wife and began questioning his suitability to the Public Health Service. He considered getting out of the service then, but could not financially withstand being without a job. He and his wife decided to visit the ship and had lunch with the crew members who were very kind to the couple. Following this, Margaret told Draper he should do the tour, and that she would be fine. Draper was still unsure of his suitability to the health service, and before sailing he had a talk with the regional Public Health Service representative in San Francisco, Dr. Rupert Blue
Rupert Blue
Rupert Blue was an American physician and soldier. He was appointed the fourth Surgeon General of the United States from 1912 to 1920.-Early years:...
. Dr. Blue was very understanding and told Draper to see him when his ship tour was over.
Once underway, the Bear followed the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
from San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
to Point Barrow, Alaska. Draper was able to make home visits to ailing Eskimos in many villages on the ship's ports of call. Upon completion of the tour, he became the resident physician at San Francisco Immigration Hospital. He was not able to revisit Dr. Blue, who had since left to become the Surgeon General
Surgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
following the death of Dr. Walter Wyman
Walter Wyman
Walter Wyman was an American physician and soldier. He was appointed the third Surgeon General of the United States from 1891 until his death in 1911.-Early years:...
. Blue had not forgotten Draper, however, and made arrangements for him to attend a "refresher course" at the Hygienic Laboratory in Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. assignments
Early in September 1912, Draper and his wife moved back east to Washington, D.C. Draper was one of about eight young medical officers selected for the refresher course at the Hygienic Laboratory, forerunner of the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
. Students who were successful in the course and showed an aptitude for research could spend several years or even a career doing scientific research. This appealed to Draper at this point in his life since he had just spent two years traveling extensively, and with a pregnant wife he liked the prospect of settling down in one place for a while. However, this assignment would be short-lived for Draper, for a reason best put into his own words:
There was in the laboratory a large tank of good-sized turtles being used experimentally to test the claims of a commercially minded enthusiast who wanted to market a turtle vaccine to immunize humans against tuberculosis. On rather a dull afternoon my gaze somehow wandered to this turtle cage and I thought what fun it would be to organize a turtle race, whip up some betting and try to make some money. I sold the idea to other members of the class and soon we had chalk lanes mapped out on the floor, a turtle with a number on its back assigned to each member, and were down on our knees, snapping our fingers, and exhorting our respective turtles to hurry up and win the race.
As events transpired, the laboratory director walked in, received a confession from the instigator, and following a short office visit let Draper know that he did not have the spirit for scientific research, and would not be going into that field. While Draper thought this a tragedy at the time, he later looked at it as a great turning point in his career, freeing him for work that would eventually bring him prominence in his profession. Draper was allowed to finish the course, after which one of his older classmates, Dr. Hugh Cumming, was put in charge of a scientific study of shellfish and water pollution. Cumming then put Draper in charge of a small laboratory in Colonial Beach, Virginia
Colonial Beach, Virginia
Colonial Beach is a town in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,228 at the 2000 census. Possessing the second largest beach front in the state, Colonial Beach was a popular resort town in the early to mid-20th century, before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge made ocean...
where he spent the next year studying the bacteriological contamination of oysters in the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. Since both Washington D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
dumped their raw sewage into the river, Draper was to answer the question of whether oysters were affected 68 miles downstream. He discovered that the pollution had been neutralized by natural processes much further upstream, and thus had no effect where he ran most of his tests. The study was important to ease fears that pollution might be affecting the extensive oyster beds near Point Lookout, Maryland
Point Lookout, Maryland
Point Lookout is a Maryland state park at the southern tip of St. Mary's County, Maryland. It is a peninsula formed by the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River....
, much further downstream.
Following his year at Colonial Beach, Draper returned to the headquarters of the Public Health Service in Washington D.C. and became the assistant to the Chief of Scientific Research., Dr. John W. Kerr, in the Surgeon General's office. Here he helped in the administration of scientific research programs and the Hygienic Laboratory. During this time, Draper participated in a study in Fulton County
Fulton County
Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat:* Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
designed to both improve the living conditions of convicts while simultaneously reducing the per capita cost of maintaining them. He co-authored a pamphlet on this study published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1918.
World War I
When World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out, Draper was assigned as an officer with the U. S. Army and was put in charge of sanitation at Camp Lee, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He worked closely with the local Health Department, primarily on the two biggest health issues involving the troops: venereal diseases and typhoid fever, both great menaces in 1917. While working at Camp Lee, Draper lived in a boarding house in Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
with his wife and young son.
His tenure at Camp Lee was short, and he was soon called to undertake similar work at the port in Newport News, Virginia where troops embarked for the war in Europe. He was primarily brought in to help resolve a management situation involving health service personnel, and with his easy-going manner but competent management skills was able to get things working smoothly, bringing praises from headquarters in Washington. Again, Draper's service in Newport News was shortened when influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
broke out in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, and he was put in charge of relief efforts there. This outbreak of the flu became global in scope and developed into one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history, giving Draper a great respect for the disease. He at first worked in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and sometimes sat in on the staff meetings of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Governor Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
when an update on the flu situation was needed.
Without the availability of antibiotics at the time, medical personnel found that it was beneficial to get the flu victims out of crowded hospitals, where many of them would die, and into tents where they would get a lot more fresh air. According to Draper, "if we could bed [the patients] down in tents which were furnished by the National Guard, more of them lived. If we got them into bed in the early stages of the disease the chances of living were far better. If they stayed around for two or three days, and finally went to bed, because they couldn't do anything else—they would very likely die."
While in Massachusetts, Draper worked out of the State House in Boston, and had several regional directors working under his overall supervision. Members of his staff came from a variety of sources, including the Public Health Service, the Hygienic Laboratory, and the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
. He assigned different members of his staff to the areas with the greatest need, and during the epidemic he also worked in different locations including Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. One night during his time in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Draper was awakened in the middle of the night by raucous noise from a fire engine, and discovered there was no fire, but rather a celebration stemming from the announcement of the armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
ending the World War.
Post war
Following the war, Draper was sent back to Washington D.C. to begin organizing a reserve corps for the Public Health Service. In such a body, medical and scientific personnel could be called to active duty into the health service in time of military necessity or in the event of the widespread outbreak of an epidemic disease. While in this position, Draper became very opinionated about how things should be done, and frequently clashed with his superiors. Dr. Blue, the Surgeon GeneralSurgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
, eventually removed Draper from this job, and gave him a choice of two other jobs instead. The one chosen by Draper was to work with Dr. Ennion G. Williams, the Virginia State Health Commissioner, to organize county health departments within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Draper became a close friend of Dr. Williams, and made stump speeches all over the state talking to civic groups and any other organization that might be helpful. The program combined federal and state funds with whatever local funding could be obtained to bring a full time health officer into as many counties as possible.
Draper's tenure in Virginia was so successful that in 1922, when Dr. Hugh Cumming became the Surgeon General, Draper was brought onto his staff and put in charge of the States Relations Division where he would work with the health departments of each state. With only twelve years in the Public Health Service, Dr. Draper was promoted to Assistant Surgeon General, possibly becoming the youngest member of the Public Health Service to reach this position up to that time. Draper became very involved in working with state health departments, and deeply interested in helping states get appropriations from congress to develop county health departments through which better control of disease could be carried on. In a 1963 interview he said "I don't think there was a state health officer that I didn't call by his first name and who didn't call me by my first name too." In September 1926, Draper was assigned as assistant surgeon general in charge of domestic quarantine, continuing to maintain his close ties and collaboration with the various state health departments. In 1949, after Draper's retirement from the Public Health Service, he was given an award of recognition from the Conference of State and Provincial Health Associations of North America for his long and meritorious public health service.
Virginia Health Commissioner
The only State Commissioner of Health that Virginia had ever known, Dr. Ennion Williams, died in 1931, leaving a large void because of his reputation and influence in other states. Dr. Draper was selected by Governor John Garland PollardJohn Garland Pollard
John Garland Pollard was an American politician who served as the 51st Governor of Virginia from 1930 to 1934.-Early life:...
to temporarily fill the vacant position, arousing political ire over the selection of someone from outside the state. The governor, himself irritated by the criticism, had these words to say:
Complaints about Draper being from out of state were hardly valid. Not only was he living in Cherrydale in Arlington County, Virginia at the time of selection, he had lived in Virginia while doing work at the two military installations during World War I and lived there again after the war while organizing county health departments, residing in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
in 1921 when his daughter was born. The governor also pointed out to his critics that specialists in the field of preventive medicine were scarce compared to practicing physicians, and it was not unusual for these specialists to go where there was a demand. Dr. Thomas Parran
Thomas Parran, Jr.
Thomas Parran, Jr. was an American physician and Public Health Service officer. He was appointed the sixth Surgeon General of the United States from 1936 to 1948.-Early years :...
, from Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, for example, was an Assistant Surgeon General in the Public Health Service who was sent to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to be the state Health Commissioner under Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
.
One of Draper's biggest challenges as the state health commissioner was to get appropriations from state legislatures for public health. He had the worst time trying to get money for the control of venereal diseases because, as he said in a 1963 interview:
the fine men who came from the rural areas and made up the General Assembly...didn't like to hear about things like syphilisSyphilisSyphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
and gonorrheaGonorrheaGonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The usual symptoms in men are burning with urination and penile discharge. Women, on the other hand, are asymptomatic half the time or have vaginal discharge and pelvic pain...
. They just weren't mentioned. Deep in their conscientiousness was the conviction that any person who had overstepped the laws of morality and spiritual righteousness deserved what was coming to them, and to help miscreants out of the troubles visited upon them by God was just something you didn't do.
Draper had to work very carefully in regards to venereal disease control, but other aspects of his tenure as Virginia's health commissioner worked very smoothly. The state kept a close liaison with the Hygeneic Laboratory when problems arose which they could not handle, and the laboratory would sometimes send experts down to help them, and at other times Virginia would send its practitioners to the Hygeneic Laboratory for some brushing up or further training. Draper's time as Virginia's Health Commissioner ended in 1934 when he returned to the headquarters of the Public Health Service. One of the big initiatives within this organization in the next two years, spearheaded by Dr. Parran
Thomas Parran, Jr.
Thomas Parran, Jr. was an American physician and Public Health Service officer. He was appointed the sixth Surgeon General of the United States from 1936 to 1948.-Early years :...
, was to bring the plight of venereal diseases into the public domain where it could be discussed and handled openly. A humorous outcome of this occurred when Draper was selected to speak to a woman's organization, and he called the secretary of the group ahead of time to find out if he could discuss venereal diseases. The secretary responded, "...indeed! We want you to discuss them. You know, you in the Public Health Service have made syphilis respectable."
World War II
With one four-year term behind him, Franklin Roosevelt had just been elected to his second term as the President of the United StatesPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1936. The same year he selected Dr. Thomas Parran
Thomas Parran, Jr.
Thomas Parran, Jr. was an American physician and Public Health Service officer. He was appointed the sixth Surgeon General of the United States from 1936 to 1948.-Early years :...
to be the Surgeon General of the United States
Surgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
. Three years later, in 1939, Draper was selected as the Deputy Surgeon General, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1947, working under Dr. Parran for the entire duration. The division within the Surgeon General's headquarters responsible for liaison with the states, where Draper had been in charge, was then turned over to Dr. Joseph Mountin.
As the Second World War progressed in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
from 1939 to 1941, the direct involvement of the United States appeared imminent. While isolationists
Isolationism
Isolationism is the policy or doctrine of isolating one's country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc., seeking to devote the entire efforts of one's country to its own advancement and remain at peace by...
clamored against U.S. involvement, the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
in December 1941 put an end to such sentiments, and the subsequent declaration of war against the United States by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
allowed for a clean entry by the Americans into the European Theater. Planning for the invasion of Europe began almost immediately, but the organization of the invasion force did not materialize until early in 1944. On January 15 of that year the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force , was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of SHAEF throughout its existence...
(SHAEF) was created with the mission to invade Europe and destroy the German armed forces.
Reports from Europe indicated that the public health situation was dire, and that prompt action was imperative. A highly qualified medical officer was needed to direct the Public Health Division of the Civil Affairs
Civil Affairs
Civil Affairs is a term used by both the United Nations and by military institutions , but for different purposes in each case.-United Nations Civil Affairs:...
Branch (G-5) of the newly-formed headquarters. Because all of the senior Army medical officers with competence in this field were already holding highly important positions, the Army turned to Dr. Parran, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, who agreed to release his deputy, Dr. Draper, for assignment to SHAEF. On April 26, 1944, Draper became a member of General Dwight Eisenhower's staff as the Chief of the Public Health Branch and the top public health adviser for SHAEF with the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. He reported with his new assistant, Colonel William Wilson, to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on May 8, 1944, and in less than two months, on July 1, 1944, he was promoted to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
.
The G-5 (Civil Affairs) branch had been established to handle the urgent issues created by the war on civilian populations. The European populace became overrun so fast by invading armies that the destruction and disruption of civilian life and institutions became great enough to impede the progress of the fighting forces. The primary objective of the G-5 was to further military effort by meeting emergency needs and maintaining civilian institutions. General Draper would have an integral role in meeting this objective, using a staff which included competent specialists in the fields of communicable disease control, nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, sanitary engineering
Sanitary engineering
Sanitary engineering is the application of engineering methods to improve sanitation of human communities, primarily by providing the removal and disposal of human waste, and in addition to the supply of safe potable water. Initially in the mid 19th century, the discipline concentrated on the...
, public health nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
, narcotic drugs control, veterinary disease
Veterinary pathology
Veterinary pathologists are doctors of veterinary medicine who specialize in the diagnosis of diseases through the examination of animal tissue and body fluids. Like medical pathology, veterinary pathology is divided into two branches, anatomical pathology and clinical pathology. Veterinary...
control, and general health inspection. Some of the specific health situations faced by General Draper and his staff were venereal disease, typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
brought about by louse
Louse
Lice is the common name for over 3,000 species of wingless insects of the order Phthiraptera; three of which are classified as human disease agents...
infestations, typhoid fever, malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
, and the generally horrific living conditions endured by refugees and many people living under German occupation.
While Draper would receive recognition for his handling of health issues in Europe during the ensuing year, things did not always go smoothly. The Public Health Branch was an advisory agency, but sometimes acted as an operating body, resulting in some misunderstandings, and criticism that the branch was sometimes presumptuous in its actions. When public health issues arose, only those that were considered detrimental to the warfighting mission could have resources allocated, and this required some difficult decisions on the part of the public health branch staff.
Upon completing his tour in Europe on June 1, 1945, Draper received a number of awards from different countries. He was made an "Honorary Companion of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
" by order of his majesty, King George VI of England, with the award presented at a ceremony in London by Air Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder. Other awards he received for his service were the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with palm from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Grand Officer Order of Orange-Nassau
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
from Holland, and the Grand Officer Order of Leopold II
Order of Leopold II
The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Léopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as king of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system...
from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. From the United States Draper received the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
, which citation reads as follows:
[Major General Warren F. Draper] served with conspicuous distinction as Chief of the Public Health Branch....He directed the formulation and execution of the Supreme Commander's policies governing public health in liberated nations and conquered territories. Drawing on his many years' experience, he coordinated all resources for the prevention and control of civilian epidemics which might have interfered with military operations, and successfully met tremendous problems caused by the chaotic conditions left by the war in many areas. The plans and procedures drawn up by General Draper were successful in every test. Through controlling disease in Europe, he contributed in the highest degree to the success of the Allied forces."
After returning to the United States in 1945, Dr. Draper resumed his post as Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service, in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1947, when he became briefly employed by the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
as assistant vice president for health services.
United Mine Workers
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
. They had a mandatory retirement age of 65, so when he reached this age in 1948 he planned to become a volunteer there. However, he was soon contacted by the United Mine Workers
United Mine Workers
The United Mine Workers of America is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners and coal technicians. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada...
of America, and accepted an offer to help them administer a new welfare and retirement fund. He was brought on as the executive medical officer of this fund's medical care program, and was given the daunting task of planning and directing health care for nearly one and a half million miners and their family members. A guiding principle of the program was that development and operation of the medical programs rested in the hands of medical professionals, as opposed to non-medical administrators.
While the fund used existing hospitals to the maximum extent possible, in many mining areas there were no hospitals within reasonable distance of the coal mines, and medical services to coalminers tended to be of inferior quality in those areas. The fund at first paid fees to doctors, but the question of unnecessary and incompetent surgery soon arose publicly. Draper wrote in 1953, "As there were no indications that the deplorable conditions of the past would not extend indefinitely into the future, the fund had no other recourse than to arrange for the establishment of new hospitals in some of the areas in which [the] most desparate need existed." This need led to the establishment of the Memorial Hospital Associations of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia, and the building of ten new hospitals. These associations were non-profit organizations established in accordance with the respective laws of the individual states, and were financed through a production royalty on coal tonnage.
While criticisms were launched at the plan as being socialized medicine, John L. Lewis
John L. Lewis
John Llewellyn Lewis was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960...
, the President of the United Mine Workers had this to say:
The program had both its merits and its downsides. On the positive side, in the field of rehabilitation alone, thousands of crippled miners had been restored to usefulness and re-employment. Dr. Draper wrote in a 1953 article, "the arduous, costly task of restoring men with crushed limbs and backs in the terrible toll of the coal mines is one of the finest chapters in the history of medicine." On the negative side, with a program of this extent there were physicians who were not competent to provide the quality of service needed, and those who rendered needless or poorly advised services. Some physicians had a monopoly on certain services in certain areas and charged exhorbitant fees, while others took advantage of emergency situations, charging coal miners rates that they would charge their wealthiest clients. Nevertheless, Draper wrote in 1953, the physicians associated with the fund had done a great amount to improve the standard of medical practice in coal mining areas. Overall, the program was considered to be a success; so successful, in fact, that in 1956 it was given the Albert Lasker Group Award
Lasker Award
The Lasker Awards have been awarded annually since 1946 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science or who have performed public service on behalf of medicine. They are administered by the Lasker Foundation, founded by advertising pioneer Albert Lasker and his wife Mary...
. While the fund continued to serve miners for decades to come, it was forced to give up its hospitals in 1964 from rising costs that it could no longer control.
In an article that Draper wrote in the Military Surgeon in 1948 he stated, "I could not know, of course, that the climax of my career was to come in the form of a request from the War Department
War Department
War Department may refer to:* War Department * United States Department of War - See also :* War Office , a former department of the British Government...
to serve in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as Chief of Public Health on General Eisenhower's staff in the European Theatre of Operations." In 1968 Dr. David Goldstein modified this notion by writing, "He did not know then, of course, that perhaps his greatest contribution in the course of his professional career was in his role as Exectutive Medical Officer, Welfare and Retirement Fund, United Mine Workers of America..."
Dr. Draper continued to manage the medical program of the UMW's Welfare and Retirement Fund until retiring from that role in 1969 when he was 86 years old. He continued his affiliation with the union, however, as the special assistant in the newly formed Department of Occupational Health until his death the following year. He died on March 19, 1970, at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington D.C. and was buried next to his wife and near his son at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Professional and personal impact
During his career, Dr. Draper was a frequent lecturer at a number of universities, including George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, Jefferson Medical College, the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, and Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. He was a member of the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
from 1925 to 1946 and a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners
National Board of Medical Examiners
The National Board of Medical Examiners , founded in 1915, is a United States examination board which sets state recognised examinations for medical students. The NBME is an independent, not-for-profit organization and is headquartered on and adjacent to the University City Science Center research...
from 1942 to 1948. He was the president of the Washington Academy of Medicine, Washington D.C., and a president and life member of the Association of Military Surgeons. Draper received a doctor of science degree from Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
in 1946. He wrote 61 articles concerning public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
administration and preventive medicine
Preventive medicine
Preventive medicine or preventive care refers to measures taken to prevent diseases, rather than curing them or treating their symptoms...
, co-authored several books and pamphlets, and had twenty speeches reprinted.
In 1956, eight years after Dr. Draper became the Executive Medical Officer of the United Mine Workers Welfare and Retirement fund, this medical care program was honored with the Albert Lasker Group Award
Lasker Award
The Lasker Awards have been awarded annually since 1946 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science or who have performed public service on behalf of medicine. They are administered by the Lasker Foundation, founded by advertising pioneer Albert Lasker and his wife Mary...
, being recognized as a model program of health services to a million and a half mine workers and their families. In 1965 the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
Council on Occupational Health presented a citation to Dr. Draper "in recognition of his devotion and tireless efforts ... in promoting the health of all working people."
Dr. Draper's writings and speeches reveal a man of great character and humor. In introducing Draper as the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Ramazzini Society in 1967, Dr. David Goldstein wrote, "His personal warmth, his compassion, his delightful sense of humor, his deep qualities of humility and humanity add to his stature as a scientist and a man of outstanding professional performance, and characterize him as one of the finest human beings I have ever known."
Awards and decorations
Dr. Draper received the following awards for his service on General Eisenhower'sDwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
staff during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
:
 Distinguished Service MedalDistinguished Service Medal (Army) The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great... (United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... ) |
 Honorary Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath... (Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... ) |
 Croix de Guerre with palmCroix de guerre The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts... (France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... ) |
| Officer of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) |
 Officer of the Order of Orange-NassauOrder of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for... (Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... ) |
In addition to the above awards, Dr. Draper's Medical Care Program with the United Mine Workers was given the Albert Lasker Group Award in 1956, eight years after Draper became the executive medical officer for the program.
Children
Warren and Margaret Draper had two children. Their first, Warren Fales Draper Jr., was born in Washington D.C. on March 8, 1913, and was married in SyracuseSyracuse
Syracuse, as a place name, may refer to:In Italy:* Syracuse, Sicily* the Province of SyracuseIn the United States:* Syracuse, New York* Syracuse, Indiana* Syracuse, Kansas* Syracuse, Missouri* Syracuse, Nebraska* Syracuse, Ohio* Syracuse, Utah...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in April 1941 to Edwyna Louise Davis, born in Syracuse on January 7, 1917, the daughter of Edward Stephen and Louise Catherine (Ecker) Davis. Warren received an undergraduate degree in English literature from Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
in 1935 and a Doctor of Medicine degree from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
four years later. He worked for the U.S. Public Health Service until his death in Washington D.C. in May 1943 from a brain tumor, and is buried in Columbia Gardens Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia. He and his wife had one son born after his death.
The second child, Anne Gansevoort Draper, was born in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on August 17, 1921, and received a degree in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, Northampton
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1943. She worked as an economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
for the National War Labor Board
National War Labor Board
The National War Labor Board was a federal agency created in April 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson. It was composed of twelve representatives from business and labor, and co-chaired by Former President William Howard Taft. Its purpose was to arbitrate disputes between workers and employers in...
, the Office of Price Administration
Office of Price Administration
The Office of Price Administration was established within the Office for Emergency Management of the United States government by Executive Order 8875 on August 28, 1941. The functions of the OPA was originally to control money and rents after the outbreak of World War II.President Franklin D...
, the Social Security Administration
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
, and finally for the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) until her retirement in the late 1990s. She did not marry, and lived with her parents, continuing to occupy their house at 4710 25th Street in Arlington County after they died, until her own death on March 3, 2001. She is buried in Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington near her brother and parents.
Ancestry of Warren Fales Draper
See also
- Surgeon General of the United StatesSurgeon General of the United StatesThe Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
- Public Health Service Commissioned CorpsPublic Health Service Commissioned CorpsThe United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is the federal uniformed service of the United States Public Health Service and is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States....
External links
- Lasker Group Award, 1956 Web page showing the award to the United Mine Workers Welfare and Retirement Fund Medical Care Program in 1956, retrieved 2011-01-16