Alexander, Gordon, 1901-....

Gordon Alexander was born August 18, 1901, in Rock Hill, Missouri. He served for 35 years on the faculty of the University of Colorado until his retirement in July, 1966. From 1939 to 1958, he was head of the Biology Department. Dr. Alexander received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Princeton University during 1924-26. He began as an instructor of biology at CU in 1931. His research dealt primarily with the study of animal distribution in relation to altitude and the ecology of high altitudes on birds, insects and protozoan physiology. His primary contribution to biology teaching at the University of Colorado was the establishment of a curriculum based on general biology, rather than botany and zoology, as the introductory course. Dr. Alexander spent three years of his career in Bangkok, Thailand beginning in 1928. He was in charge of the biology program at Chulalongkorn University on a Rockefeller Foundation assignment and, while there, he made a special study and collection of the birds of Thailand. He returned to the same institution as a Fulbright lecturer from 1956-57. Dr. Alexander was the author of four books and more than 50 articles in technical journals. The books include outlines of biology and general zoology for the College Outline Series.