Born in Clinton, Iowa, Graupner graduated from the University of California in 1897,[1] and was admitted to the bar the same year.
[3] He entered the practice of law until 1913, when he became a superior court judge in San Francisco, California.
[4] He served until 1915, when he left to enlist in the United States Army, in which he was an infantry captain in World War I.
[2] Upon his return, he resumed the private practice of law until his appointment to the United States Board of Tax Appeals in 1924.
[5] However, he and Albert E. James were the only members not reappointed to the Board when their initial terms expired, reportedly "because of their differences of opinion with the Board’s Chairman, Jules Gilmer Korner, concerning 'administrative matters'".