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 the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location and ...

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

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

, 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, along with Fort Madison. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is ...

, where he went to public schools. He graduated from

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. Hi ...

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

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

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply 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 org ...

. He earned a doctorate in history at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

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 India ...

at Ticonderoga and

Cooperstown Cooperstown is a village in and 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 the C ...

from 1934 to 1941. He went to Wisconsin, where he served as the director of the Historical Soceity 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 American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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. 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 1907 births 2003 deaths 20th-century American biographers 20th-century American male writers