Arthur Woods

Colonel Arthur Hale Woods (January 29, 1870 – May 12, 1942) was an American educator, journalist, military and law enforcement officer. One of the most prominent police reformers during the early 20th century, he served as deputy New York City Police Commissioner from 1907 to 1909 and later became New York City Police Commissioner in 1914. During his time with the New York City Police Department, he was largely responsible for initiating the application of criminology and sociology in modern policing. In his later years, Woods worked with the Division of Military Aeronautics and was involved in government committees on unemployment under the administrations of Presidents Warren G. Harding and Herbert Hoover. Woods was also an important public servant as trustee for the Board of Education and presided as president and chairman of the board of Rockefeller Center. Early life Arthur Woods was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 29, 1870, to Joseph Wheeler and Caroline Frances Woods. He attended Harvard University, graduating in 1892, and did his post-graduate work at Harvard and the University of Berlin. He also received a LLD degree from Trinity College, Connecticut in 1910. Career After his post-graduate work in Berlin, he became a schoolmaster at Groton School in 1895. One of his students, Franklin D. Roosevelt, later became elected to the presidency of the United States. In 1905, he accompanied William Howard Taft, Nicholas Longworth, and Alice Roosevelt to the Philippines and then continued alone traveling the world for another year before returning to the United States.