Enoch Herbert Crowder - Cowder State Park, Trenton, Missouri - Missouri Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

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Enoch Herbert Crowder (1859-1932)

The live of Enoch H. Crowder provided today's citizens with an outstanding example of the American Dream.

Born in abject poverty at Edinburg, Mo., five miles west of Trenton, Crowder spent 50 years in public service--first through his military career and then in the diplomatic corps.  He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1881.  In 1886, Crowder obtained a law degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he also taught as professor of military science and tactics.  During his military career, he served on the Texas border, in the Dakotas and in the Southwest.

After the Spanish-American War, Crowder used his legal experience to assist in organizing and administering new governments for the Philippines and Cuba.  Although in finished in the bottom half of his West Point class, Crowder was the first in his class to reach the rank of general.  During World War I, he served as judge advocate general and provost marshal general.  After leaving the Army in 1923, he was appointed the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba.

From 1927 until his death in 1932, Crowder was engaged in the private practice of law in Chicago, Ill.  Crowder died in Washington, D.C., on May 7, 1932.  He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.  His honors and decorations include:

• the Distinguished Service Medal
• the Cuban Order of Carlos Manuel de Cesedes
• the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun
• Knight Commander of the British Order of St. Michael and St.  George
• Commander of the French Legion of Honor
• Commander of the Italian Order of the Crown

Gen. Crowder is best known as the father of the Selective Service Act, known today as the draft.  At the request of Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, Crowder and his staff wrote the law after consulting with Congressional leaders and general staff.  Making only minor revisions, the U.S. Congress enacted it as law on May 18, 1917.  The basic elements of the law remained operational for more than half a century.