Col. Archibald Stevens Alexander (August 22, 1880 – August 30, 1912) was a lawyer, Democratic politician, and military aide to

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

from New Jersey.

Early life

Alexander was born on August 22, 1880. He was the son of

Archibald Alexander Archibald Alexander (April 17, 1772 – October 22, 1851) was an American Presbyterian theologian and professor at the Princeton Theological Seminary. He served for 9 years as the President of Hampden–Sydney College in Virginia and for 39 year ...

(1855–1917), a professor of philosophy at Columbia College, and Caroline Bayard (née Stevens) Alexander (1859–1932). His parents divorced when he was young and, later after his death, she remarried to H. Otto Wittpenn, the 28th

Mayor of Jersey City The Mayor of the City of Jersey City is the head of the executive branch of the government of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint dep ...

, on January 6, 1915. His maternal grandparents were the noted philanthropist

Martha Bayard Stevens ''For the American politician, see Martha Stevens.'' Martha Bayard Stevens ( Dod; May 15, 1831 – April 1, 1899) was a noted New Jersey philanthropist influential in advancing complementary educational pursuits. Early life She was born to Al ...

(a daughter of professor

Albert Baldwin Dod Albert Baldwin Dod (March 24, 1805 – November 20, 1845) was an American Presbyterian theologian and professor of mathematics. Early life Dod was born on March 24, 1805, in Mendham, New Jersey. He was the son of Daniel Dod (1778–1823) and ...

) and

Edwin Augustus Stevens Edwin Augustus Stevens (July 28, 1795 – August 7, 1868) was an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur who left a bequest that was used to establish the Stevens Institute of Technology. Life Stevens was born at Castle Point, Hobo ...

(son of Col. John Stevens, who developed early versions of screw-propelled

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

and

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

). Through his grandfather, an engineer and entrepreneur who is considered the founder of

Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology is a Private university, private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely de ...

, he was a direct descendant of

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

man from New Jersey, John Stevens. His paternal grandparents were Henry Martyn Alexander (a lawyer, Trustee of

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, and son of

, the first Principal of Princeton Theological Seminary) and Susan Mary (née Brown) Alexander (daughter of Rev. Matthew Brown). Among his paternal family were grand-uncles,

James Waddel Alexander James Waddel Alexander (March 13, 1804 – July 31, 1859) was an American Presbyterian minister and theologian who followed in the footsteps of his father, the Rev. Archibald Alexander. Early life Alexander was born in 1804 in Louisa County ...

William Cowper Alexander William Cowper Alexander (May 20, 1806 – August 23, 1874) was an American lawyer, politician, and insurance executive. He served as President of the New Jersey State Senate and as President of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Early ...

, and Joseph Addison Alexander. He prepared at St. Paul's School in

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat, seat of Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 43,976, making it the List of municipalities ...

, before attending

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

, where he graduated in 1902. He went to

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private, American law school in the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. The third oldest law school in New York City, its history predates its official founding in 1891 by Theodore William Dwight, T ...

, graduating in 1904, and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in New Jersey.

Career

After law school, Alexander became a member of law firm of Besson, Alexander & Stevens law firm. He served as a member of the

New Jersey Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

in 1905, was defeated in 1906, and served again in 1907. Beginning in 1911, Alexander served on the

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

's military staff as a colonel. In July 1912, Alexander and three others, including David S. Crater (

Secretary of State of New Jersey The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

), and two members of the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

, left their handbags in Gov. Wilson's library and Alexander had to sneak in through a window to retrieve them after the family went to sleep and locked the windows. Gov. Wilson, in his pajamas, caught him while retrieving the bags and the story was widely reported at the time. At the time of his death, Col. Alexander was campaigning to become the Democratic candidate for the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

from New Jersey's 11th congressional district which then included Hoboken. The seat he was running for was won by fellow Democrat John J. Eagan.

Personal life

In 1905, Alexander was married to Helen Tracy Barney (1882–1922) at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City. She was the daughter of Lily (née

Whitney Whitney or Whittney may refer to: Film and television * ''Whitney'' (2015 film), a Whitney Houston biopic starring Yaya DaCosta * ''Whitney'' (2018 film), a documentary about Whitney Houston * ''Whitney'' (TV series), an American sitcom that ...

) Barney (daughter of Brig.-Gen. James Scollay Whitney, president of the

Metropolitan Steamship Company The Metropolitan Steamship Company was for 75 years one of the chief transportation links between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts. It was closely associated with the Whitney family until its acquisition by Charles W. Morse in 1906. Even aft ...

) and Charles T. Barney, the former president of the

Knickerbocker Trust Company The Knickerbocker Trust was a bank based in New York City that was, at one time, among the largest banks in the United States. It was a central player in the Panic of 1907. History The bank was chartered in 1884 by Frederick G. Eldridge, a ...

.Robert F. Bruner and Sean D. Carr, ''The Panic of 1907. Lessons Learned from the Market's Perfect Storm'', passim. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2007. Among her extended family were maternal uncle

William Collins Whitney William Collins Whitney (July 5, 1841February 2, 1904) was an American political leader and financier and a prominent member of the Whitney family. He served as Secretary of the Navy in the first administration of President Grover Cleveland from ...

and paternal grandfather Ashbel H. Barney, an early president of

Wells Fargo & Company Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...

. Before his early death, they lived at

Castle Point Castle Point is a local government district with borough status in south Essex, England, lying around east of London. The borough comprises the towns of South Benfleet, Hadleigh and Thundersley (where the council is based) on the mainland, a ...

and were the parents of: * Archibald Stevens Alexander Jr. (1906–1979), a lawyer who served as the U.S. Under Secretary of the Army and Treasurer of New Jersey. After an illness of two weeks, Alexander died of

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

on August 30, 1912, aged 32, at St. Luke's Hospital in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. After a funeral held at the Church of the Holy Innocents in Hoboken, and attended by Governor Wilson (who was then the Democratic candidate for President),

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Wittpenn, and

Cooke Cooke is a surname of English and Irish origin derived from the occupation of cook and anglicisation of various Gaelic names. Variants include Cook and McCook. Irish surname origin Cooke (rather than Cook) is the usual spelling of the surnam ...

, he was buried at Saint Bernards Cemetery in

Bernardsville Bernardsville (Melisurgo, Len NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 23, 2017. Accessed December 1, 2024. "Same goes with the neighboring borough of Bernardsville. (It should be pronounced BERN-ards-vil.)") is the northernmost borough in Somerset C ...

in Somerset County. After his death, his widow remarried to Frederic Newell Watriss, with whom she had another son, James Barney Watriss (who became a horse breeder and aviator).

References

;Notes ;Sources

External links

*
Inventory to the Archibald S. Alexander Papers
at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Archibald Stevens 1880 births 1912 deaths People from Hoboken, New Jersey St. Paul's School (New Hampshire) alumni Princeton University alumni New York Law School alumni Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Deaths from typhoid fever in the United States Infectious disease deaths in New York (state) 20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature