Grace Alexander
{{Short description|American writer and journalist (1872–1951)}}
{{distinguish|Jane Grace Alexander}}
{{Infobox writer
| image = Grace Alexander (The Indianapolis woman, 1896).png
| alt = 19th-century B&W portrait photo of a young woman with her hair in an up-do, wearing a dark, high-collared blouse with puffy sleeves.
| caption = Portrait photo from The Indianapolis woman, 1896
| birth_name = Grace Caroline Alexander
| birth_date = June 14, 1872
| birth_place = Indianapolis, Indiana
| death_date = October 1, 1951 (aged 79)
| death_place = Indianapolis
| resting_place = Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis
| occupation = {{hlist|writer|journalist|teacher}}
| genre = {{hlist|plays|novels|textbooks}}
| alma_mater = Indiana University
| notable_works = Judith
| relatives = Georgia Alexander (sister)
}}
Grace Alexander (1872–1951) was an American author, journalist, and teacher. She wrote in several genres including plays, novels, and textbooks. Her work as society editor of Indianapolis News included music and drama criticism, as well as a weekly women's section. With her sister, Georgia Alexander, Grace owned and operated a women's boarding house in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Early life and education
Grace Caroline Alexander was born on June 14, 1872, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her parents were George N. and Caroline (Nichols) Alexander.{{cite book |title=Woman's Who's who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada |date=1914 |publisher=American Commonwealth Company |page=42 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UOsLAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA42 |access-date=4 May 2024 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}
She was educated at Indianapolis High School (later renamed Shortridge High School), and Indiana University (1912).{{cite journal |title=The Lamp of Delta Zeta |journal=The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi |date=1913 |volume=30 |issue=2 |page=122 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hSXPAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA122 |access-date=4 May 2024 |publisher=Pi Beta Phi Fraternity |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}
Career
File:Grace Alexander (The Lyre of Alpha Chi Omega, 1913).png
Alexander taught English in Indianapolis schools for many years.
In 1891–1903, she was a society editor, editorial writer, and music critic of the Indianapolis News.
She wrote all of the musical criticisms, as well as many of the dramatic comments. Every Saturday, the News published a supplement of four pages directed to women. A considerable amount of Alexander's time was occupied every week in editing this supplement.{{cite journal |title=Indianapolis Newspaper Women |journal=The Indianapolis Woman an Illustrated Journal |via=digitalindy.org |date=25 January 1896 |volume=1 |issue=12 |page=10 |url=https://www.digitalindy.org/digital/collection/ewl/id/595 |access-date=4 May 2024 |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}} After 1904, she was a professional manuscript reader at the Bobbs-Merrill Company.{{cite web |title=Indiana Authors and their books, 1816-1980 |url=https://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/inauthors/view?docId=encyclopedia/VAA5365-01;chunk.id=ina-v1-entry-0009;toc.depth=1;toc.id=ina-v1-entry-0009;brand=ia-books;doc.view=0;query=&hit.rank= |website=webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu |access-date=4 May 2024}} In 1913, she became the editor of Delta Zeta's The Lamp.{{cite journal |author1=Alpha Chi Omega |title=The Lamp of Delta Zeta |journal=The Lyre of Alpha Chi Omega |date=January 1913 |volume=16 |issue=2 |page=123 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1BQTAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA123 |access-date=4 May 2024 |publisher=Alpha Chi Omega. |language=en}}
With her sister, Georgia Alexander, Grace was the author of Child Classics, The Fourth Reader (1909), Child Classics, The Fifth Reader (1909), and Child Classics: The Sixth Reader (1917). Grace Alexander was the author of Judith and other publications.{{cite book |last1=Herringshaw |first1=Thomas William |title=American Journalist and Author Blue Book |date=1923 |publisher=American Blue Book Publishers |page=36 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=APg9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA36 |access-date=4 May 2024 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}
Grace and Georgia owned and operated Aberdeen House, a private hotel in Indianapolis.{{cite news |title=Death of Georgia Alexander |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-death-of-georgia-a/30844491/ |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=The Indianapolis Star |via=Newspapers.com |date=22 November 1928 |page=5 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}
Personal life
In religion, she was Episcopalian. Alexander was a member of the Contemporary Club.
Grace Alexander died in Indianapolis, on October 1, 1951, with burial in that city's Crown Hill Cemetery.{{cite news |title=Ex-Teacher, Writer Dies In Hospital |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-ex-teacher-writer/146594802/ |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=The Indianapolis Star |via=Newspapers.com |date=3 October 1951 |page=3}}{{cite news |title=Grace Alexander Burial Tomorrow |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-grace-alexander-bu/146594715/ |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=The Indianapolis News |via=Newspapers.com |date=3 October 1951 |page=18}}
Selected works
- A comedy at court; a play in 4 acts, founded on an incident in Alexander Dumas' novel, "The three musketeers", 1898{{cite book |author1=Library of Congress Copyright Office |title=Dramatic Compositions Copyrighted in the United States, 1870 to 1916 ... |date=1918 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H6I5A43IKVwC&pg=PA382 |access-date=4 May 2024 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}
- Judith: A Story of the Candle-Lit Fifties (illustrated by George Wright), 1906 ([https://books.google.com/books?id=aAUtAAAAYAAJ text])
- Child Classics, The Fourth Reader (with Georgia Alexander), 1909
- Child Classics, The Fifth Reader (with Georgia Alexander), 1909 ([https://books.google.com/books?id=c8cAAAAAYAAJ text])
- Child Classics: The Sixth Reader (with Georgia Alexander), 1917 ([https://books.google.com/books?id=D_MAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP6 text])
- Prince Cinderella, 1921 ([https://books.google.com/books?id=CzRBAQAAMAAJ text])
References
{{reflist|30em}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Grace}}
Category:Writers from Indianapolis
Category:19th-century American dramatists and playwrights
Category:19th-century American journalists
Category:20th-century American journalists
Category:20th-century American novelists
Category:19th-century American educators
Category:American textbook writers
Category:Shortridge High School alumni
Category:Indiana University Bloomington alumni
Category:Educators from Indiana
Category:Journalists from Indiana
Category:Novelists from Indiana
Category:American women textbook writers