Professor Drake had been in failing 
health for several years and at the 
time of his death was 87 years of age. 
 His teaching career was unique in that 
he taught in two different units of the
 University, beginning his work in the
 then Literary Department, where he 
eventually rose to the post of Profes
sor of Latin and Roman Law, and then 
transferring his allegiance to the Law 
School, where he was a Professor of 
Law. To cap it off he returned from 
retirement, which began in 1930, to
 teach Latin in 1934, when the death
 of a faculty member left a vacancy 
which could be filled in no other way. 


The scholarly "Ducky" Drake be
gan his teaching career at Ann Arbor 
in 1890 as Instructor in Latin, fol
lowing a period of high school teaching 
and administration and some study
 abroad. As is indicated by his de
grees, he was a constant student, earn
ing his law degree at the University 
seventeen years after his first gradua
tion. Five years after he was given 
his law diploma he became a member 
of the School's faculty, and it was as 
a Professor of Law that he retired.


An honor of which he was never ad
vised came to him last month when 
the Board of Regents, upon recom
mendation of the Board of Directors 
of the Alumni Association, named him 
to the Williams Professorship.

Four children survive him: Joseph
 H. Drake, Jr., '16, '18e, of Jackson
ville, Florida; Charles M. Drake, '21e,
 of Birmingham, Michigan; Robert L. 
Drake, '21, of Jackson, Michigan; and 
Mrs. Maude Drake Rich, '25, A.M.
'34, of Buffalo, New York.