Edward Porter Alexander (January 11, 1907 – July 31, 2003) was an American historian, museum administrator, educator and writer. He served for nearly 30 years as vice-president for interpretation at

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in Williamsburg, Virginia. Its historic area includes several hundred restored or recreated buildings from the 18th century, wh ...

(1946–1972) and founded the Museum Studies program at the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...

, which he directed for its first six years.

Early life and education

Alexander was born in

Keokuk, Iowa Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk people, Sauk chief K ...

, where he went to public schools. He graduated from

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The University offers over 140 undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, education, Legal education, law, and pharmacy. Drake U ...

Des Moines Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, and earned a master's degree in history at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

. He earned a doctorate in history at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

Career

Alexander worked mostly in museums and historical centers. He served as director of the

New York State Historical Association The Fenimore Art Museum (formerly known as New York State Historical Association) is a museum located in Cooperstown, New York on the west side of Otsego Lake. Collection strengths include the Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection of American Indi ...

at Ticonderoga and

Cooperstown Cooperstown is a village in and the county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in ...

from 1934 to 1941. He went to Wisconsin, where he served as the director of the Historical Society of Wisconsin from 1941 to 1946. For nearly 30 years, he directed activities as the vice president for interpretation at

from 1946 to 1972. These were decades of major expansion and change, including the beginning of incorporation of more historical material about the common people, enslaved people and women. Following this, he founded the Museum Studies Program at the

, which he directed from 1972 until his retirement in 1978. Deeply engaged in museum operations, he was elected president of the

American Association of Museums The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), formerly the American Association of Museums, is a non-profit association whose goal is to bring museums together. Founded in 1906, the organization advocates for museums and provides "museum professionals w ...

and the American Association for State and Local History.

Legacy and honors

*Alexander was awarded an honorary degree from Drake University. *He was elected as a fellow of th
Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences
(now known as the Rochester Museum & Science Center).

Death

He died of a heart ailment at the age of 96.

Published books

*''James Duane: Revolutionary Conservative'' (1978), *''Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions of Museums'' (1979), *''Museum Masters: Their Museums and Their Influence'' (1983), *''The Museum in America: Innovators and Pioneers'' (1997).

References

University of Delaware

''San Diego History Journal''
"Obituary of Edward P. Alexander"
SPNHC Newsletter {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Edward P. 1907 births 2003 deaths 20th-century American historians American male non-fiction writers American male biographers American curators Drake University alumni University of Iowa alumni Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni University of Delaware faculty 20th-century American biographers 20th-century American male writers