The Washington times., 1922-12-31
.JOSEPHE. RALPH
DIES ON WAY T0|
VISIT SICK W|FE|
Former Director Of Bureau
of Engraving and Printing
Falls on New York Street
HELD POST HERE 10 YEARS
News of Death Finds Son
Here at Another Family
Sick Bed at Walter Reed

Joseph E. Ralph former director
Of the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing, fell dead on a street in
New York, yesterday. News Of
his death was telephoned here by
Robert A. Ralph, a son, who had
been called to the bedside. of the
dead mans wife, who is critically
I'll.
QUIT HOME IN GOOD HEALTH.
Mr.. Ralph left his home yester-
day morning apparently In the best
of health according to advices from
New York. He had left the offices
Of the United States Steel Com
pany. where he has been employed
since leaving Washington four years
ago. and was thought to be on his
way home to see his wife. The
cause Of death had not been deter
mined. He was living at 677 Ocean
avenue, Brooklyn.
Besides a wife and the son who
is at her bedside, three other sons
survive. They are Edward. a cap
tain in the army, who was at the
bedside of his wife in Walter Reed
hospital when news Of his fathers
death reached Washington; Daniel
p. a clerk in railroad office in
Joliet. ILL.,. and Howard. student
at Notre Dame University. Capt.
Ralph left Washington last night.
after his wife was pronounced much
better following an operation.
HEADED BUREAU 10 YEARS.
Mr.. Ralph held the post as head
Of the Bureau, of Engraving and
Printing ten years; the longest term
Of any man in that post of the
Government. He served under Roose-
welt. Taft and Wilson, and resigned
October 81, 1917, to take the presi-
dency of the United States Intaglio
Security Company. Four years ago
he went to New York as head Of the
labor relations department Of the
United States Steel Company.
A native of Allegheny City, Pa,
he was born August %. 1868. Dur
ing his boyhood his parent2 moved
to Joliet, H., which he has since
considered as his home town"
Starting to work in the steel mills
in Illinois as boy, Mr.. Ralph speadi-
ly developed into an expert mechanic.
He came from Joliet to superintend
the construction of the then new
Castle Garden at Ellis Island. In
1892 he was placed in charge of the
customs service at the Worlds Fair
in Chicago.
CAME HERE IN 1897.
In 1897, Mr.. Ralph came to Wash.
ington as custodian of dies. rolls and
plates of the Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing. In 1908 he was made
director OF the bureau, succeeding
Thomas J. Sullivan.
Under Mr.. Ralph's regime, the
activities of the bureau increased
many-fold. He led the fight for
undermining the equipment and
methods of the plant and succeeded
In obtaining a building to house it
which is regarded as the most
sanitary and up-to-date factory
building in the world.
The economies put into effect
during his administration mount up
into savings of millions Of dollars
This was effected in a great E-leas-
ure by installation of improved ma.
chinery. largely designed by me-
chanics attached to his staff, and
under his suggestion and direction
The adoption of the power plate
printing press was one of the most
prominent Of such Improvements.
FRIEND OF CLERKS.
While he was under much fire
of criticism on many occasions, the
bulk Of the employees Of the bureau
regarded Mr.. Ralph as a fair execu-
tive and a humane man. looking
out for their interests. not only in
sanitation and conditions of labor,
but in personal matters.
In official Washington he has a
host of friends. Also there are
more than 200 thirty-year service
employees who spent ten years Of
their lives in helping Mr.. Ralph
make the bureau the greatest insti.
tuition of it's kind in the world.