Edward Augustus Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. (August 29, 1884 – September 13, 1960) was an American college administrator, author, editor, government official, military officer, and
conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
expert. From 1929 to 1954, he served as president of
Mount Mary College
Mount Mary University is a private Roman Catholic women's university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The university was founded in 1913 by the School Sisters of Notre DameNew York Training School for Teachers. He earned his
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
degree in 1906 from
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), is the graduate school of education, health, and psychology of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, it has served as one of the official faculties and ...
, and received his
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
the following year. In 1911, he earned his
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
. While earning his advance degrees, Fitzpatrick taught from 1903 to 1908 in
New York City public schools
The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York (or the New York City Public Schools) is t ...
.
Government and college administrator
In 1913, he became assigned to the Wisconsin State Board of Public Affairs, and drafted the first minimum wage for Wisconsin teachers. He was the state's
military draft
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day und ...
administrator during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and designed a conscription program that was considered a model for the rest of the country – Wisconsin was able to prepare men for service earlier than any other state. He served in the staff of Major General
Enoch Crowder
Major General Enoch Herbert Crowder, USA (April 11, 1859 – May 7, 1932) was an American Army lawyer who served as the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army from 1911 to 1923. Crowder is most noted for implementing and administering t ...
, administrator of the
Selective Service Act of 1917
The Selective Service Act of 1917 or Selective Draft Act () authorized the United States federal government to raise a national army for service in World War I through conscription. It was envisioned in December 1916 and brought to President ...
. After the war, Fitzpatrick became secretary of the board of the Wisconsin State Board of Education, until its abolishment in 1923.
In 1924, Fitzpatrick became the first dean of the Marquette University Graduate School, located in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
. In 1929, Fitzpatrick's son Edward A. Fitzpatrick Jr. died, and in his honor the boy's father donated 500 volumes and $500 to
Marquette University High School
Marquette University High School (MUHS) is a private, all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), an acc ...
for its memorial library the following year. Fitzpatrick was appointed in 1929 as the president of
Mount Mary College
Mount Mary University is a private Roman Catholic women's university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The university was founded in 1913 by the School Sisters of Notre DamePrairie du Chien
Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821.
Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was esta ...
to Milwaukee. He would continue to hold this role until 1954. During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, he was also the chairman of the State Recovery Board and the
National Recovery Administration
The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was a prime agency established by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) in 1933. The goal of the administration was to eliminate "cut throat competition" by bringing industry, labor, and governmen ...
conciliation board.
Fitzpatrick developed a reputation for his knowledge of draft policy. By 1940, he was considered one of the country's "foremost authorities in conscription," as he published ''Conscription and America: A Study of Conscription in a Democracy'' in the summer of that year. This work "became the bible of hundreds of military officers in their study of the subject." One publication would declare in 1948 that "perhaps no man in the country ever made a more thorough study of compulsory military training." During World War II, he helped train men for service at Camp Grant in
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...
, and traveled from Milwaukee to Washington D.C. many times early in the war to help officials prepare for conscription, using parts of his 1940 book to advise them. He was a
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
in the Army and served under the leadership of General
Lewis Blaine Hershey
Lewis Blaine Hershey (September 12, 1893May 20, 1977) was a United States Army general who served as the second Director of the Selective Service System, the means by which the United States administers its military conscription.
Early life
He ...
, director of the
Selective Service System
The Selective Service System (SSS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States government that maintains information on U.S. Citizenship of the Unite ...
.
Fitzpatrick acted as editor of the ''Catholic School Journal'' for 25 years. After his retirement from Mount Mary, he moved to Washington D.C. in 1954, where he died on September 13, 1960. He was buried in
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.ANC Explorer /ref> He and wife Lillian Fitzpatrick had three sons.
Publications
* ''The Educational Views and Influence of De Witt Clinton'' (1911)
* ''Budget Making in a Democracy''
* ''Experts in City Government'' (editor)
* ''The Scholarship of Teachers in Secondary Schools: The Sachs Prize Essay of 1926'' (1926)
* ''In the Service of God'' (1938)
* ''The Autobiography of a College'' (1939), co-written with Sister Mary Dominic
* ''Conscription and America: A Study of Conscription in a Democracy'' (1940)