Dr. Thomas Alexander was the driving force behind the inspiration and creation of the New College for the Education of Teachers, a progressive undergraduate college within the sphere of Teachers College at Columbia University in New York. Despite this accomplishment and his place among one of the most heralded university faculties of education, he is not well known to educational historians today, nor is the educational institution he founded. Dr. Alexander was described by his contemporaries as a hard-working, pragmatic man, and a common sense academic with a genius for organization and a love of education. So much of his experiences and accomplishments, like his true first name, have been hidden by the passages of time. To tell the story of New College is to tell the story of Thomas Alexander since it was his experiences, rural upbringing, travel, and the collaboration with some of the most insightful and accomplished educators of the day, in America and Germany, that led him to the creation of New College.
Very few people knew his real first name was Richard. Some of his closest friends, academic colleagues who had known him for decades, only knew him as Thomas. When asked why, Alexander’s son, Dr. Richard T. Alexander, Jr. replied, “I have no notion, but I can assure you that there were people who knew him very well, knew him for years as Thomas Alexander although his first name was Richard and I can’t tell you why he did that.”
His paternal grandfather was named Thomas, but it is unclear whether or not he had any kind of relationship with him. In all likelihood his mother, Mary, had called him Thomas ever since he was born and he never saw the reason to change as a matter of practicality. Even his earliest school documents, which presumably were done with his mother’s blessing, listed him as Thomas. It wasn’t until the end of the World War Two, when working on the staff of General Lucius D. Clay, commander of the Office of Military Government for Germany (OMGUS) in postwar Germany that he did have to officially declare himself as Richard Thomas Alexander for passport purposes. OMGUS was responsible for administering the U.S. zone of occupation. Because of his reputation, Alexander was asked to help resurrect the German educational system. On his very first passport he was self-identified as Thomas probably because there was no need for a birth certificate, as they were not yet considered a vital state record.
Very few people knew his real first name was Richard. Some of his closest friends, academic colleagues who had known him for decades, only knew him as Thomas. When asked why, Alexander’s son, Dr. Richard T. Alexander, Jr. replied, “I have no notion, but I can assure you that there were people who knew him very well, knew him for years as Thomas Alexander although his first name was Richard and I can’t tell you why he did that.”
His paternal grandfather was named Thomas, but it is unclear whether or not he had any kind of relationship with him. In all likelihood his mother, Mary, had called him Thomas ever since he was born and he never saw the reason to change as a matter of practicality. Even his earliest school documents, which presumably were done with his mother’s blessing, listed him as Thomas. It wasn’t until the end of the World War Two, when working on the staff of General Lucius D. Clay, commander of the Office of Military Government for Germany (OMGUS) in postwar Germany that he did have to officially declare himself as Richard Thomas Alexander for passport purposes. OMGUS was responsible for administering the U.S. zone of occupation. Because of his reputation, Alexander was asked to help resurrect the German educational system. On his very first passport he was self-identified as Thomas probably because there was no need for a birth certificate, as they were not yet considered a vital state record.
