Emigrating with his family to Will County, Illinois, Drew worked in the coal mines until saving enough to take a course at the Northern Indiana Normal School.

Drew attended public schools until he was thirteen, when he went to work in a coal mine to support his family.

In 1886, Drew had saved enough money to take a business course at the Northern Indiana Normal School, graduating the next year.

[1] Drew enjoyed to read in his free time and eventually studied to pass the bar.

He became known for his Drew Bill, which forbade the importing of labor from other states; it was the first of its kind in the nation.