George Otis Draper, son of General William Franklin and Lydia Warren (Joy) Draper, was born July 14, 1867, at Hopedale, Massachusetts. He attended the West Newton English and Classical School and after four years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he left in 1887, to secure a practical machine shop experience which would supplement his amassed knowledge of mechanical theory. His entire advanced education was dedicated to the premise that he would enter the Draper industrial enterprises, then headed by his father, and it was indeed fortunate that he possessed a mechanical bent and inventive talent of superior quality.
In January, 1889, he acquired a partnership interest in the firm of George Draper & Sons, the largest manufacturers of cotton machinery in the United States, and by the year 1904, he became one of the principal stockholders. His activity within the family concern was not limited to inherited executive capacity. He was a development engineer and an inventor of rare talent. He held at one time patents in excess of one hundred, the outstanding of which were applications and developments of the Northrop looms, called the greatest advance in textile manufacture since the cotton gin. From these alone, he drew royalties from nine foreign countries. His interests were not exclusively confined to the Draper companies, however, for he was an executive in more than twenty-five corporations in 1914; including machine shops, textile plants, quarries and mines.
He had been the principal party in the consolidation of the quarry activities that centered in and about Milford, Massachusetts, and he was president and largest proprietor of the Milford Pink Granite Company. Among the numerous industrial institutions he served in a managerial capacity, he was president of these in 1914: The Draper Realty Company, the Draper-Hansen Company, the Michener Stowage Company, the Sapphire Record and Talking Machine Company, the Draper-Latham Magneto Company, the Scholz Fireproofing Company, the Farrington Company, the Phillips Manufacturing Company, and the Hilton Manufacturing Company.
Mr. Draper was an extensive and authoritative writer of technical expositions on the design, construction and application of cotton machinery. As well, he was the author of a series of unique contributions to religious commentary, entitled "Searching for Truth" (1902), "Still on the Search" (1904), and "More" (1908). His professional and other affiliations indicated a man of wide interests and culture. He was a member and director of the American Civic Association. He was a member of the National Association of Cotton Manufacturers, of the National Civic Federation, of Theta Xi fraternity, of the Engineers Club, of the Technology Club, of the Graduate Club, New York, of the Home Market Club, Boston, of the Metropolitan Club, Washington, D.C., and of the Oakland Country Club.
George Otis Draper was of that rare type of human, the true cosmopolitan. He was at home in many lands and in many spheres of interest and endeavor. His talents ran a glittering gamut from the technical to the literary; from the intensely practical to the ardently idealistic.
Died, in California, February 7, 1923. [The Milford Daily News obituary gives a date of October 20, 1938. Since he was born in 1867 and the obituary below says he was 71 at the time of his death, the 1938 date must be the correct one.]
Married, April 28, 1892 at Lexington, Kentucky, Lily, daughter of Henry T. Duncan.
Issue:
1. Elise Draper; [I've seen other spellings of this name.] died, unmarried, in Kentucky.
2. George Otis Draper; in regular United States army.
3. Henry Duncan Draper.
Ruth Lawrence, Draper, Preston and Allied Family Histories, pp. 54 - 55, National Americana Publications, New York, 1954. (Thanks to Giancarlo BonTempo for this source.)
George Otis Draper Dies in California;
Ill Two Months
George Otis Draper, 71, Hopedale native, mill official, author, inventor, World tourist and former resident of this town, died of heart disease last night at the home of his son, George Otis Draper, Jr., with whom he lived, in San Pedro, Cal. He had been ill about two months. Word reached local relatives of the death this morning.
Mr. Draper resided in this town many years. A few years ago he sold his home on Chestnut street and went to California to make his home. He retired many years ago and had since toured extensively, making four complete trips around the world.
Mr. Draper was born July 14, 1867, a son of the last Gen. William F. Draper, who was ambassador in Italy under President McKinley in 1897, and Lydia D.W. Joy Warren Draper. He was educated in the Hopedale schools and later was graduated from Massachusetts Tech.
He served as secretary of the old Draper Co., which later became the Draper Corp. and at that time he had charge of patents and experimental departments. Mr. Draper also supervised the advertising for the Hopedale concern and edited "Cotton Chats," a monthly publication. He invented numerous loom parts which proved of exceptional value to the loom manufactured by the Drapers.
Mr. Draper wrote many books, among them being "Searching For Truth," and "Still on the Search." During his travels Mr. Draper wrote interesting articles concerning his experiences and the countries he visited. Scores of them appeared in the Milford Daily News and were eagerly read by hundreds of his friends.
In the year 1912 Mr. Draper left Hopedale and resided in New York, with headquarters at the Engineers Club. It was during this period that he devoted much of his time to writing. In 1916 he became vice president of the old Hopedale Mfg. Co., which was afterward taken over by the Draper Corp. For about 10 years he was connected with that mill. Mr. Draper had also been an official in several mills in the South.
In the early days of the balloon and automobile Mr. Draper was a great enthusiast for both. He was one of the first automobile owners in this section and for years was a daily figure in a speedy car, with his colored chauffeur, on the highways.
When the Nipmuc Canoe Club was first formed, Mr. Draper was prominent in its activities. He had the honor of serving as its first commodore. In addition to his affiliation with clubs in New York, Mr. Draper was a member of the Milford lodge of Elks.
He saw service in the World war and also served previously at the Mexican border. He served several months in France, during which time he was a captain in ground aviation. He gave instructions in compass and airplane navigation, and wrote pamphlets on this work, which were adopted by the Allied armies.
At Mexico he saw service with the 7th New York regiment. When the United States became engaged in the World war Mr. Draper tried to join the New York regiment, which he had been with in Mexico, but was turned down, being classed not physically fit. [He would have been 50 at the time.]
He then took up a six months course at Mass Tech and was accepted for aviation work overseas.
Mr. Draper was a member of Milford post, V.F.W.
He leaves another son, Henry, of New York, two sisters, Mrs. Edith Blair of Washington, and Princess Margaret Boncompagni, a brother, Clare H. Draper, of Boston, and several cousins. Milford Daily News, October 21, 1938. (Thanks to Paul Curran for sending this.)
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