• Date of Birth: May 05, 1914
  • Born City: Jefferson
  • Born State/Country: GA
  • Parents: James Curtis & Zula Waggoner A.
  • Date of Death: October 24, 1995
  • Death City: Athens
  • Death State/Country: GA
  • Married: Corinne Walker Ball, 26 Sept. 1944
  • Education:

    A.B. U. of Georgia, 1934; M.A., 1935; postgrad. U. Perugia, summer 1936; U. Padua, 1936-7; U. Grenoble, summer 1937; Ph.D. (English), U. of Virginia, 1940.    

  • Dissertation:

    “A Preparatory Study for a Critical Edition of the Novelle of Giovanni Sercambi” (Virginia, 1940).   

  • Professional Experience:

    Instr. English, Bethany Coll., 1940-1; asst. prof. to asso. prof., U. of Georgia, 1946-61; prof. & head of dept. of Classics 1961-80; Franklin Prof. Classics, 1980-82, pres. CAMWS 1962-4.   

  • Publications:

    Was Cleisthenes an Athenian Archon?” CJ 54 (1959) 306-14; “The Marriage of Megacles,” CJ 55 (1959) 129-134; “More Remarks on the Archonship of Cleisthenes,” CJ 55 (1960) 220-1.

  • Notes:

    James Alexander, who trained in English and Classics, served for 32 years as chair of the Classics Department at the University of Georgia, a department known for long-servings chairs, such as Willis H. Block (48 years) and William D. Hooper (46 years). During his chairmanship the department dramatically increased the number of undergraduate majors and the number of teachers tried and placed in schools. The James Alexander Reading Room in the Department was established in 1983 to honor his long and meritorious service.  

  • Sources:

    DAS 8:3 6-7; WhAm 40 (1978-9) 39.

  • Author: Ward Briggs