Alexander J. Craig was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 educator and politician from Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

.

Born in Wallkill, New York

Wallkill, Orange County, New York

Wallkill is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 24,659 at the 2000 census.The Town of Wallkill is centrally located in the county. Interstate 84 crosses New York State Route 17 in the southern part of the town. U.S...

, Craig was self-educated. In 1843, he moved to Palmyra, Wisconsin

Palmyra, Wisconsin

Palmyra is a village in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Scuppernong River. It was named after Palmyra, Syria, an oasis city mentioned in the Bible. The name means "sandy soil." The population was 1,766 at the 2000 census...

, where he taught school and farmed. He was the editor of the 'Journal of Wisconsin Education' published by the state of Wisconsin. In 1860, he was President of the Wisconsin Teachers Association. In 1859, he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly

Wisconsin State Assembly

The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....

. He then became assistant supervisor of public instruction 1860-1867. During the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, Craig served in the 40th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment

40th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 40th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was among scores of regiments that were raised in the summer of 1864 as Hundred Days Men, an effort to augment existing manpower for an all-out push to end the war...

. He was elected Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin

Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin

The Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes referred to as the State Superintendent of Schools, is a constitutional office within the executive branch of the Wisconsin state government, and acts as the executive head of the Department of Public Instruction...

and served from 1868 until his death in office.