Archie Alexander
An architectural trailblazer who built major American infrastructure while breaking color barriers, from university halls to the governor's mansion.
1888–1958 (age 70)·African American architect and engineer·Birthday: May 14·The Lost Generation
Biography
Archie Alexander confronted the 'impossible' as a matter of routine. In 1912, he became the first African American to graduate from the University of Iowa's engineering college, a feat that required navigating a world of entrenched prejudice. He co-founded the firm Alexander & Repass, which became one of the most significant Black-owned businesses of its era. Their portfolio was monumental: the heating plant at the University of Iowa, the Tuskegee Airfield, and perhaps most famously, the Whitehurst Freeway in Washington D.C. and the Tidal Basin Bridge. Alexander combined technical brilliance with shrewd business acumen, securing major federal contracts. His success led him into politics; he served as a Republican party official and, in a final groundbreaking act, was appointed Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1954. His career was a testament to what could be built when talent refused to be limited.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Archie was born in 1888, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Archie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1888
Archie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1888Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1893Started school
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Became a teenager
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1904Could drive
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could vote
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Turned 21
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1918Turned 30
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1928Turned 40
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1938Turned 50
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 60
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 70
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
Key Achievements
- Designed and built the Whitehurst Freeway, a major elevated highway in Washington D.C., completed in 1949.
- As a partner in Alexander & Repass, his firm constructed the Tuskegee Army Air Field, a key training site for the famed Tuskegee Airmen.
- Became the first African American to graduate with an engineering degree from the University of Iowa in 1912.
- Served as Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands from 1954 to 1955, appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Did You Know?
He was a star football player at the University of Iowa and was named to the All-Big Ten team in 1911.
His engineering firm, Alexander & Repass, was one of the few Black-owned companies to receive large federal contracts during the New Deal era.
He was a dedicated member of the Republican Party and served as assistant chairman of the Republican National Committee.
A residence hall at the University of Iowa is named in his honor.
“An engineer makes the forces of nature work for man.”
