TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
James S. Alexander, Sr. 1936-2024 National Institute of Health Executive, U.S. Army
S urrounded by his three children, James S. Alexander Sr. (Alpha Kappa 1957) entered the Chapter Invisible on October 7, 2024, at the age of 88. James Selby Alexan- der was born in Jacksonville FL, the youngest son of Edward I. Alexander, an attorney, and Winona Cargile, an educator and a founder of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. At a young age, Alexander developed a love for base- ball and after excelling at Jacksonville’s Stanton High School was recruited to play at North Carolina College at Durham (now North Carolina Central University) in Durham, NC. He played varsity baseball at NCCU for four years. He served as vice polemarch at Alpha Kappa. He graduated from NCCU in 1958 with a BA degree in education. Post-graduation, Alex- ander served in the U.S. Army. After his honorable discharge in 1961, he
guidance counselor in the Washington, D.C. school system. During this time, he earned a master’s degree in educational administration from George Washington University. In 1970, he accepted a position with the U.S. Department of State in an office that administered various internship and training programs. In 1974, Alexander moved to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he served as the first Equal Opportunity Officer at the Clinical Center, the world’s largest research hospital. At a time when most research training programs lacked minority involvement, he advocated for the NIH’s mission to better reflect the broader population by fostering a more diverse pool of participants. Alexander was widely recognized for his work and contributions to help build a pipeline to enlarge the pool of minori- ties within health-related biomedical research and stimulate interest in
clinical and basic research opportunities. As a result, he became part of a foursome that trav- eled the country recruiting minority students. They visited HBCUs, as well as Ivy League schools and other institutions, where they shared information about NIH programs and their availability to inter- ested students. Today, many of those students are research inves- tigators, NIH grantees and department heads. Alexan- der’s colleagues remember him as a person who made a difference at the NIH, and recall that he was highly respected by research scientists, who would seek his input on proposed programs. Led by Alexan- der, the NIH-supported initiatives targeted closing the health disparity gap. In 1990, Alexander was named Deputy Director of the newly created Office of Intramural Research, Training, and Education, which focused on recruit- ing and training young
biomedical researchers. In that capacity, he directed the NIH Summer Internship Program. Alexander spent thirty years at the NIH and received numerous awards for outstanding service. He retired in 2004 after nearly forty years of federal service. He spent his retired years volunteering at his church, Colesville Presby- terian Church, mentoring students interested in med- icine and traveling to visit his grandkids. He held membership in NCCU’s Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter. Preceded by his parents and sibling Edward I. Alexander, Brother James S. Alexander, Sr. is survived by his children James “Jimmy” S. (Robyn) Alexander (Chicago (IL) Alumni 2009), Larry Alexander, and Lori (Joey Sorge) Alexander; grandchildren Kristin Alexander, Corinne Alexander, Winona Sorge, and Sophia Sorge; and niece Susan Alexander. ♦
spent the next ten years as a teacher, coach and
42 THE JOURNAL ♦ SUMMER 2024
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