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James S. Alexander

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James S. Alexander
Born(1865-01-21)January 21, 1865
Tarrytown, New York
DiedJuly 16, 1932(1932-07-16) (aged 67)
New York City
Occupationbanker
SpouseAnna Pomeroy
ChildrenEmma Myer Alexander & James Strange Alexander III
Parent(s)James Strange Alexander Sr. (1814–1889) and Susan Coe (née Elting) Alexander (1835–1902

James Strange Alexander Jr. (February 21, 1865 – July 16, 1932)[1] was an American banker from New York who served as president of the National Bank of Commerce in New York and chairman of the board of the Guaranty Trust Company.

Early life

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Alexander was born on February 21, 1865, in Tarrytown, New York. He was a son of James Strange Alexander Sr. (1814–1889) and Susan Coe (née Elting) Alexander (1835–1902). Among his siblings was brothers Frank William Alexander and Charles Elting Alexander.[1]

After receiving a public school education in Tarrytown, he took a position as a clerk in a general store at age thirteen. At age sixteen, he took a position as clerk in the Tarrytown National Bank. Within three years, he was assistant to the cashier of the bank.[1]

Career

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In 1885, Alexander became a junior clerk at the National Bank of Commerce in New York at a salary of $10 a week. He remained with the bank for fifteen years, advancing to assistant cashier and chief clerk. In 1907, he left to become treasurer of the American Express Company. The National Bank of Commerce, however, lured him back in less than a year making him vice president. Three years later in 1911, he was made president of the bank.[2] In 1923, Alexander became chairman of the board of directors,[3] and Stevenson E. Ward became president.[4][5] In 1929, when the bank merged into the Guaranty Trust Company, he became chairman of the board of the combined entity.[6] Alexander retired as chairman of the board on January 1, 1930.[7]

Alexander was chairman of the executive committee of the National Committee on European Finance, a member of the advisory committee of the American section of the International Chamber of Commerce and a member of the committee on finance and currency of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York.[1]

Board involvement

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During World War I, he was a member of the Liberty Loan Committee and secretary of the Federal Reserve District. From 1926 to 1928, he was a member of the advisory committee of the Federal Reserve Board. He also served as a director of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, the Mercantile Stores Company, Pacific Oil Company, Prudential Insurance Company of America, the Southern Pacific Company and the Winifred Masterson Burke Relief Foundation. He was a member of the New York Clearing House Committee from 1913 to 1916, chairman of the committee on finance from 1919 to 1921, ultimately being elected president in 1923.[8]

He was a director of the American Arbitration Association and a member of the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Japan Society.[1]

Personal life

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Portrait of his daughter, Emma, by Hoëy, 1925.

Alexander was married to Anna Pomeroy (d. 1936).[9] Together, they were the parents of:[1]

  • Emma Myer Alexander (1891–1973),[10] who married Lesley Green Sheafer (c. 1890–1956),[11][12] a New York stockbroker with Jesup & Lamont.[13][14]
  • James Strange Alexander III (1896–1985), who married Hortense Clapp Heywood (1896–1987), a daughter of Edith Clapp and Lincoln Heywood, in 1920.[15]

Alexander died of a heart attack on July 16, 1932, at his home, the Drake Hotel at 440 Park Avenue in New York City.[1] He was buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. His estate was left to his family with two-fifths going to his son, two-fifths going to his daughter, $10,000 going to his widow, who was then living at 139 East 79th Street and several bequests to his brothers, employees and friends.[16] The net value of the estate was $1,011,135.[17]

Honors and awards

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Alexander was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour of France, a Chevalier of the Crown of Italy by King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy,[18] and a Knight of the Belgian Order of Leopold II.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "J.S. ALEXANDER, BANKER, DIES AT 67; Retired Chairman of Guaranty Trust Co. Became Ill Last Sunday. HONORED BY THREE NATIONS Began as a General Store Clerk and Worked Way Up to Become a Leader in Many Industries". The New York Times. July 17, 1932. p. 21. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  2. ^ "NEW COMMERCE BANK HEAD.; James S. Alexander Promoted to Presidency to Succeed V.P. Snyder". The New York Times. September 7, 1911. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  3. ^ "NEW POST CREATED FOR J.S. ALEXANDER; He Is Made Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Commerce". The New York Times. June 1, 1923. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  4. ^ Alexander, James Strange (1925). National Bank of Commerce in New York: Address by James S. Alexander, at Annual Meeting of the Shareholders January 13, 1925. National Bank of Commerce in New York. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  5. ^ TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (June 17, 1950). "EX-BANKER ENDS LIFE IN BRONXVILLE HOME". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  6. ^ "$2,000,000,000 BANK, LARGEST IN COUNTRY, FORMED BY MERGER; Guaranty Trust and National Bank of Commerce Near End of Huge Transaction. NATIONAL CITY OUTRANKED Myron Taylor, Steel Executive, Is Credited With Being the Dominant Figure in Deal. STATEMENT READY MONDAY Skyscraper on Present Sites to House Both Is Reported Planned-- Share-for-share Exchange Seen. Resources of the Banks. Merger Regarded as Logical. Gained Prominence in Steel. Grew Largely Without Mergers. Alexander Power in Expansion". The New York Times. February 22, 1929. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  7. ^ "J.S. ALEXANDER QUITS GUARANTY TRUST; Ex-Head of Bank of Commerce to Retire as Chairman of Merged Institutions Jan. 1. HAD DISTINGUISHED CAREER Active in Financial Circles for 30 Years, He Was Cited by Three Nations for War Services". The New York Times. December 19, 1929. p. 42. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  8. ^ "OFFICERS ELECTED BY CLEARING HOUSE; James S. Alexander Is Chosen President and William Woodward Chairman". The New York Times. October 3, 1923. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Resident's Mother Dies". Scarsdale Inquirer. Vol. XVIII, no. 15. 15 May 1936. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  10. ^ Glueck, Grace (April 2, 1975). "$7.3-Million Gift Surprises Met Museum". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  11. ^ Munger, Jeffrey; Sullivan, Elizabeth (2018). European Porcelain in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-58839-643-3. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  12. ^ "LESLEY G. SHAEFER". The New York Times. April 16, 1956. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  13. ^ Kisluk-Grosheide, Daniëlle O.; Koeppe, Wolfram; Rieder, William (2006). European Furniture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Highlights of the Collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-0-300-10484-4. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  14. ^ "MISS ALEXANDER WEDS L. G. SHEAFER; Daughter, of Mr. and Mrs. Jas. S. Alexander Married in St. Luke's Church, Montclair. SEVEN ATTEND THE BRIDE Bridal Pair, Under Arbor of Roses, Receive Congratulations at Reception ;- Many New York Guests". The New York Times. October 8, 1914. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  15. ^ "MAJOR CECIL SINGER WEDS MISS GROVES; Relatives Only at Ceremony in St. Patrick's Cathedral Performed by Rev. C.E. Gilmartin. MISS REID WEDS A. HEALY James S. Alexander, Jr., Banker's Son, Marries Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Howard Hull". The New York Times. April 29, 1920. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  16. ^ "ALEXANDER ESTATE LEFT TO HIS FAMILY; Banker's Son and Daughter Share Four-fifths of the Resi- due -- Widow Gets $10,000. 2 BROTHERS DIVIDE $50,000 Dr. Terrlberry Bequeathed All to His Wife -- M.H. Frohman Set Up Fund for Dog's Grave". The New York Times. August 17, 1932. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  17. ^ "$1,011,135 IN ESTATE OF J.S. ALEXANDER; Children and Grandchildren of Telephone Official to Get Bulk of It. MRS. PRATT'S WILL FOUGHT Sister of Isaac Singer's Daughter Contends She Was Incapable of Drawing Legal Document". The New York Times. June 24, 1933. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  18. ^ "ITALY HONORS BANKER.; Cross of Chevalier of Crown Awarded to James S. Alexander". The New York Times. June 24, 1920. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
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