James S. Alexander

James Strange Alexander Jr. (February 21, 1865 – July 16, 1932) In 1923, Alexander became chairman of the board of directors, and Stevenson E. Ward became president. In 1929, when the bank merged into the Guaranty Trust Company, he became chairman of the board of the combined entity. Alexander retired as chairman of the board on January 1, 1930.

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.

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. Together, they were the parents of: who married Lesley Green Sheafer (–1956), a New York stockbroker with Jesup & Lamont. James Strange Alexander III (1896–1985), who married Hortense Clapp Heywood (1896–1987), a daughter of Edith Clapp and Lincoln Heywood, in 1920.

Alexander died of a heart attack on July 16, 1932, at his home, the Drake Hotel at 440 Park Avenue in New York City. 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. The net value of the estate was $1,011,135.

Honors and awards 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, and a Knight of the Belgian Order of Leopold II.