By teaching school a portion of the year, and attending school and doing odd jobs the remainder of the time, he secured a first class teacher's certificate, and the degrees of Bachelor of Didactics, and Master of Didactics from the Highland Park College, Des Moines, Iowa. He then took the Principal Teachers' examinations in the United States Civil Service, and in 1895 received an appointment as teacher at the Colorado River Indian Boarding School at Parker, Arizona. Two years later he was promoted to the position of superintendent at the Uncompagre Boarding School at Fort Duchesne, Utah, and in a short time transferred to the Pine Point Boarding School, in the Tamarack and Pine Regions near Lake Itasca, in northern Minnesota.

While occupying the latter position, he married Miss Lillie Gilbert of Memphis, Michigan.

Having studied law at spare times for several years, in September, 1907, he decided to finish the law course and enrolled in the law College of the State University of Nebraska, receiving his sheepskin and admission to the bar in 1910. He then immediately moved to Oshkosh.and has been engaged here in the practic of law ever since.

In the fall of 1912, he entered into partnership with Frank Dutton under the firm name of Curtis & Dutton, lawyers. This partnership was dissolved in December, 1914.

In 1914, Mr. Curtis was elected county attorney, reelected in 1916, and again reelected in 1918 for a four year term.

Mr. and Mrs. Curtis have three children : David, born in Beecher county, Minnesota, May 7, 1903 ; Helen, born in Lancaster county, Nebraska, July 31, 1907; Robert, born in Oshkosh. Nebraska, May 25, 1911.