Alexander, Archibald Stevens, 1906-1979

Archibald Stevens Alexander (1906-1979) was born in New York City. He received a bachelor's degree from Princeton University in 1928 and a law degree from Harvard in 1931. Upon graduation from law school, he joined the firm of Carter, Ledyard and Millburn in New York City; he was a partner with the law firm from 1940 to 1949. During World War II, Alexander served in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was Assistant Secretary of the Army from 1949 to 1950 and Under Secretary from 1950 to 1952. In both 1948 and 1952, Alexander was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator from New Jersey. From 1954 to 1955 he served as Treasurer of the State of New Jersey. During 1956 Alexander was Director of Volunteers for Stevenson-Kefauver. From 1959 to 1963, he served as President of the Free Europe Committee. Alexander returned to Washington, D.C., when he was appointed Assistant Director of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency in 1963. He remained at that post until 1969.

Alexander devoted a great deal of his time to public service and held a number of posts in associations and educational institutions. He was a member of the board of directors of the Citizens' Research Foundation from 1965 until he died and actively participated in its efforts to study and reform political campaign financing. From 1971 until his death, he was president of the Arms Control Association, an organization dedicated to promoting public understanding of effective policies and programs in national arms control and disarmament. Committed to the reduction of nuclear arms, Alexander was also a member of the American Bar Association's Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament, and in 1977 was appointed chair of the subcommittee on Foreign Military Aid and Arms Sales Limitations.

In addition to matters of international scope, Alexander was involved in the affairs of his region and state. He was a member of the Gateway Citizens Committee, which was affiliated with the Regional Plan Association, from 1969 until 1975 (and served at least some years as its Co-Chair from New Jersey). Briefly in 1975, and again from 1976 to 1978 (during the latter period as Vice-Chair), he served as a member of the Gateway National Recreation Area Advisory Commission. Among the state commissions on which he served were the New Jersey Tax Policy Commission (1955? to 1963) and the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (1975 to 1979). Active in community affairs, Alexander also served at one time on the Bernardsville Borough Council and on its Board of Education.

Alexander's involvement with Rutgers University began in 1954 when he became a Public Trustee by virtue of his appointment as State Treasurer. He resigned as a Trustee in late 1955, but was appointed to the newly created Board of Governors in 1956, in which year he was also inducted as a Public Trustee. Alexander served on both the Board of Governors and the Board of Trustees until 1973; he was chair of the Board of Governors from 1959 to 1963 and again from 1971 to 1973. Alexander was a member of the Rutgers University Foundation Board of Overseers from 1975 until his death and was also president of the Friends of the Rutgers University Libraries from 1975 until he died. In 1973 the Board of Governors named the central university library in his honor.

A descendant of both the Rev. Archibald Alexander and the Stevens family of New Jersey, Alexander married Susanne Dimock Tilton (d. 1935) in 1929 and Jean Struthers Sears (1907-1983) in 1937. He died at his home in Bernardsville, New Jersey, and was survived by his wife and five children.

From the guide to the Archibald S. Alexander Papers, 1939-1979, bulk 1969-1979, (Rutgers University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives)