Rev. George Alexander Papers
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Abstract
The Reverand George Alexander Papers consists of correspondence from 1889-1915 during Alexander's time serving the Council of New York University and as pastor of the University Place Presbyterian Church. The collection consists exclusively of correspondence received by Alexander, and approvimately one half of the letters are from Chancellor Henry M. MacCracken.
Biographical Note
George Alexander, a Presbyterian clergyman and university administrator, was born on October 12, 1843 in West Charlton, New York, the son of Alexander F. and Margaret (Bunyon). He earned an A.B. degree from Union College in 1866 and in 1870 graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary. That same year he was ordained. Alexander served as pastor of the East Avenue Church in Schenectady, New York from 1870-1883. The following year he assumed the pastorate of the University Place Presbyterian Church in New York City.
Alexander became a member of the NYU Council in 1887, serving as vice-president of the Council from 1898-1909 and as its president from 1909-1930. He was also on the Committee on the Graduate Division and the School of Pedagogy in 1893. He became the chairman of this committee in 1920 and continued in the position until his death in 1930. He was involved in the formation and establishment of the University Heights campus. Alexander spent several years on other Council committees including the Committee on Honorary Degrees (1899-1909) and the Committee on Vacancies (1902-1909). He joined the Executive Council in 1902, became its president in 1907, and served as such until 1930. He held membership on the Committee on Fine Arts (1922-1926) and the Committee on Medical and Dental Collegees and Properties (1925-1930).
Other activities in Alexander's life include service as a professor of Rhetoric and Logic at Union College (1877-1883), the president of the New York College of Dentistry (1896-1925), the president of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions (1903-1904), the president of Union College (1907-1909), the president of the Board of Trustees of MacKenzie College in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the director of Princeton Theological Seminary, the president of the American and Foreign Christian Union, the president of the Council of Reformed Churches in America holding the Presbyterian System (1915-1916), and the president of the Leopold Schepp Foundation. His memberships included the Union College Alumni Association, the Century Association, and the Adirondack League. He died on December 12, 1930 at the age of 87.
Arrangement
The materials in this collection are arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains material generated from Alexander's service to the Council of New York University (later known as the Board of Trustees) and as pastor of the University Place Presbyterian Church. The period represented in the papers primarily falls under the chancellorship of Henry M. MacCracken (1891-1910) and extends into that of Elmer Ellsworth Brown (1911-1933). The collection consists exclusively of correspondence received by Alexander. Approximately one half of the letters are from Chancellor MacCracken.
The collection is arranged in strict chronoligical order and contained in three folders: (1) 1889-1901, (2) 1902-1907, (3) 1909-1915. Extensive correspondence exists for the period 1901-1907. The year 1901 is particularly well represented with material relating to the disharmony in the faculty and administration of the School of Pedagogy and the subsequent resignations and appointments. The correspondence for the year 1911 is concerned with the selection of Elmer Ellsworth Brown as the successor for Henry M. MacCracken as chancellor of the University. Several years are not included in the papers and they are as follows: 1890, 1892-1893, 1896, 1908, 1912, and 1914.
The majority of the correspondence concerns routine administrative matters of the various offices and positions held by Alexander as a member of the NYU Council. The papers are representative of these offices. The correspondence also provides information about the growth of the University, the development of graduate instruction, the founding of the School of Pedagogy in 1890, the opening of the University Heights campus in 1894, the establishment of the University Heights Presbyterian Church (dedicated in 1908), the New York College of Dentistry with mention of a union with N.Y.U. that eventually did occur in 1925, the union of the University and the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, faculty selection, and benefactors to the University for the years 1904, 1906, and 1909. There is also routine correspondence from the Women's Advisory Committee, a small amount of material concerning the University Place Presbyterian Church, and a few personal letters.
In addition to Chancellor MacCracken, principle correspondents include: David Banks (member of the Council), Elmer Ellsworth Brown (Chancellor), William Allen Butler (member of the Council), Helen Miller Gould (benefactor), William M. Kinglsey (member of the Council and Treasurer), John MacCracken (President of Lafayette College), William S. Opdyke (member of the Council), John J. Stevenson (Professor of Geology), as well as various other members of the faculty and administration.
The collection provides some understanding of the growth of the University during these years; its operations, policies, and decision-making. Letters from Chancellor MacCracken frequently reveal his private views on many matters; he and Alexander were personal friends and therefore, were quite candid with each other. Alexander's contributions and lifelong dedication to New York University are clearly reflected in the correspondence.
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Reverand George Alexander Papers; RG 2.0.2; box number; folder number or item identifier; New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials found in collection; there is no documentation concerning the provenance of these materials.
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Processing Information
Decisions regarding arrangement, description, and physical interventions for this collection prior to 2019 have not been recorded.