Henry C. Alexander

Early life and education Alexander was born on a farm in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where his father ran a feed store.

Career

Law career After his graduation from law school, Alexander joined Davis, Polk, Wardwell, Gardiner & Reed in New York City, where he was made partner at age 32. In 1958, he publicly advocated for the reduction of income taxes in the United States as an economic stimulus in the wake of recession. and in 1959 he leveraged this influx of capital funds to merge with the Guaranty Trust Company, forming Morgan Guaranty and serving as its CEO and chairman.

In addition to his career in banking, Alexander served of the board of directors of General Motors, the American Viscose Corporation, and Standard Brands. He was a trustee on the boards of Presbyterian Hospital, Vanderbilt University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. They had four children.