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John William Cravens was born in Center Valley, Indiana on October 1, 1864. After graduating from high school in Danville, Indiana, he went on to study at Central Normal College (also in Danville). He received his BS from that institution in 1884. For the next year, he served as editor of the Danville Gazette with W.A. King.
Cravens first came to Bloomington in 1885, where he attended classes at Indiana University for one semester before turning his attention to public service. Cravens served as superintendent of the Monroe County schools from 1887- 1890. After leaving this position, Cravens served as clerk of the Monroe County Circuit Court until 1894. In 1895, Cravens re-entered IU to pursue a degree in history. His interest in history led him to write several articles on the history of IU. At this same time, he was appointed University Registrar by then-President Joseph Swain. He served in this position until his retirement in 1936. In addition to the duties he had as Registrar, he also served as Secretary to the Board of Trustees from 1898-1936 and as Secretary to the University from 1915-1936. John William Cravens died on August 10, 1937 and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Bloomington.
John W. Cravens married his second wife Mellie Parker Greene on June 28, 1916. Mellie had attended the same high school as her future husband. She taught school in Jamestown and North Salem, Indiana for four years. Mellie arrived in Bloomington in 1906 where she attended classes at Indiana University until 1909. During 1906 she worked at the University Library. She became President William Lowe Bryan's secretary in 1907, a job that she kept until her marriage in 1916. After John W. Cravens' death in 1937, Mellie was in charge of the Register of Graduates in the IU Alumni Office. From 1942 until 1954 she served as an Administrative Assistant to President Herman B Wells. In 1961 Mellie Cravens and her step-daughter Ruth Ralston Cravens moved in to the Kennedy Memorial Christian Home in Martinsville, Indiana. Mellie Parker Greene Cravens died on October 18, 1967.
Ruth Ralston Cravens was born February 12, 1898. Her mother Emma Lucille Krueger, John's first wife, died on February 20, 1898. Ruth graduated with an A.B. in English from IU in 1920. Like her step-mother, she too worked for Herman B Wells as an Administrative Assistant from 1942-1956. She never married. She died on January 20, 1982.
