during his early academic career, capen taught german at clark college. capen was a higher education specialist for the u.s. bureau of education between 1914 and 1919. he served as president of the alumni association at tufts between 1914 and 1916. between 1919 and 1922, capen served as the first director of the american council on education. he was installed as chancellor of the university at buffalo on october 28, 1922.