Clifford A. Draeger was born in North Dakota on 20 June 1936. He married his high
school sweetheart and spent one year in the North Dakota National Guard before
moving to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1955 for a job at Allen Bradley. Draeger began
working for the City of Milwaukee on 11 April 1973 when he became the Alderman of
the 12th District in a special election. He was reelected in 1976 and 1980, and
during his time, he was instrumental in the revitalization of Mitchell Street and
the development of Grand Avenue. While serving as a member of the Common Council,
Alderman Draeger chaired the Zoning and Development Committee and served as a member
of the Judiciary & Legislation, Public Information, and Community Development
Policy Committees, as well as serving on the Redevelopment Authority and the Board
of Trustees for the Milwaukee Public Library.
In late 1982, after serving his constituents for nine years, Alderman Draeger
resigned and assumed the position of City Real Estate Manager in the Department of
City Development. He was appointed special deputy in the office of the City
Treasurer in 1990 and was promoted to Deputy City Treasurer in 1996 where he
completed 25 years of city service, retiring on 31 July 2000. In September 2001, Mr.
Draeger stepped out of retirement to serve under Mayor John O. Norquist on the Board
of Review, where he worked to fairly review property owners’ objections to property
assessments. Clifford A. Draeger died in Milwaukee on 4 April 2005 at the age of
68.
