Blake Alexander:

An Inventory of his Drawings, Papers, and Photographic Material, [1887] - 1995

Biographical Sketch of Blake Alexander

DRURY BLAKELEY ALEXANDER, architectural educator, was born in Paris, Texas, on February 4, 1924, to Drury Blakeley and Katherine (Stone) Alexander. After serving in the U.S. Army (1943-1946) Alexander obtained a Bachelor of Architecture Degree (1950) and a Bachelor of Science in Art Degree (1951) from the University of Texas at Austin. He earned a Master of Arts Degree from Columbia University, New York, in 1953.

Alexander began his teaching career as an Instructor at Kansas State University, Manhattan (1953-1955) and returned to the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture as an Assistant Professor (1955-1960). In 1958 he was the recipient of both the Heritage Society of Austin Award for Service in the Cause of Historic Preservation, and the University of Texas Students' Association Teaching Excellence Award. As a Registered Architect (State of Kansas #664) Alexander directed the 1964 summer survey program in Historic Architecture of the Schuylkill Valley. This program, jointly sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania and the Historic American Buildings Survey at the National Parks Department, served as the basis of the measured drawings classes that he subsequently developed at the University of Texas at Austin.

As Associate Professor (1960-1967) Alexander maintained a busy schedule serving as Faculty Advisor for the University of Texas Chapter of the Honorary Architecture Society, Tau Sigma Delta, a post he continued through 1970. In 1964, Alexander assumed the position of Director of the Texas Architectural Survey - the first historic architecture survey undertaken in Texas, jointly sponsored by The Amon Carter Museum of Western Art and the School of Architecture of The University of Texas. The survey prompted the establishment of the Texas Historical Survey Committee.

In 1967 Alexander was promoted to Professor of Architecture. From 1975-1977 he served as Vice President of the University of Texas Chapter of the Texas Association of College Teachers, and he devoted his expertise to several boards of directors, including the Victorian Society of America (1969-1974), the Society of Architectural Historians (1979-1982), and the Heritage Society of Austin's Preservation Awards Committee (1973-1978). His community service included participation in Austin's Historic Landmark Commission and serving as Texas Chairman for the Historic Landmark Committee (1975-1985). He also worked with the Dallas Historic Landmarks Survey at the Department of Urban Planning (1971-1974), and as a consultant in historic architecture for the Fort Worth Junior League. He also served on the National Register Board of Review Committee for nominations from Texas. Alexander received numerous awards and honors during this time including the Austin City Council Distinguished Service Award (1976), and the Service Award for Historic Preservation at the Heritage Society of Austin (1976). His teaching honors include the Margaret McDermott Centennial Teaching Fellow in Architecture (1983-1984) and The Eugene McDermott Lectureship in Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin (1983-1985).

From 1984-1986 Alexander served as the Meadows Foundation Centennial Professor in Architecture and in 1994 became Professor Emeritus. Recent awards include the Texas Historical Commission's Texas Award for Historic Preservation (1986), the National Preservation Honor Award at the National Trust for Historic Preservation (1991), The Texas Society of Architects Excellence in Architectural Education Award (1994), and the Distinguished Professor Award (1995) of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.

Throughout his career at the University of Texas, Alexander participated in numerous University Committees including the Faculty Senate (two terms), the Faculty Building Committee (six years, Chairman for two), the Committee on Committees, the Faculty Committee for a More Vital Faculty Council, the School of Architecture Budget Council, and as Chairman of both the Winedale Council and the Winedale Stagecoach Inn Advisory Council. Today, Blake continues to serve the city through the Historic Landmarks Commission and the University as a champion of the preservation of the University's historic buildings, resident historian, and special friend to the Architecture and Planning Library.

- Kristy Sorensen

Scope and Content of the collection

Creative works, correspondence, memoirs, printed material, minutes, maps, images, photographs, student work, slides, and artifacts, (1887-1995) created or collected by Drury Blakely Alexander, evidence his career in education and interests in architectural history and preservation. The collection is divided into four series: Personal Papers (1953-1976, 1992, not dated), Professional Papers (1887-1995, not dated), Faculty Papers (1927-1989, not dated), and the addendum series Faculty Building Committee (1956-1970, not dated). The bulk of the material concerns Alexander’s architectural research and writing on topics such as University of Texas at Austin (UT) buildings, 19th century Texas structures, and the architect Paul Phillipe Cret, conducted both for the UT School of Architecture and for a wider audience, along with supporting material (images, printed materials, photographs). Professional affairs are also emphasized (71 folders), particularly committee and conference involvement with architectural history and preservation groups such as the Society of Architectural Historians (1952-1994) and the College Art Association (1951-1961). Service as part of the University Of Texas School of Architecture faculty (5 boxes) is represented through documents relating to administrationive budget, dean selection and general committee minutes and correspondence, collected narrative histories of the school, newsletters, and teaching schedules (1963-1974). Correspondents or referenced persons of note include Chancellor Harry Ransom, former UT presidents Lorene Rogers, Stephen Spurr, and Joseph R. Smiley, and former Deans of the School of Architecture Phillip Creer, Alan Taniguchi, and Charles Burnette. Correspondence regarding the initial establishment and early acquisitions of the architecture archives is also included. Documents arising from involvement with UT outside of the School of Architecture are also present (17 folders), including the Centennial Committee (1983), and service on various Winedale councils (1967-1979) with the inclusion of several handwritten letters from Ima Hogg, who donated the property to the university. Received awards and accolades are reflected by framed certificates and plaques (1 box). Alexander’s personal interests and endeavors are also represented through degrees (from UT Austin and Columbia University), printed material from a trip to Europe (1956), charcoal and watercolor artwork (2 flat files), and a collection of classic car images. Memoirs (1992), arising out of a Baylor University oral history program, record recollections of both a personal and professional nature.

Of particular interest in this collection are images - engravings, maps, slides (1 box) and photographs and negatives (3 boxes). Highlights are original engravings from architect Philip Johnson’s office, panoramic images of Alexander’s birthplace, Paris, Texas, after the 1916 fire, and a folding model of the great rose window of Chartres Cathedral in France. Oversize materials of note include plans and diagrams of the Texas State Capital, and two matted prints of Cret’s work. The slides have been digitized and are available for viewing. See "Texas Architecture: A Visual History" on the University of Texas website (http://www.utexas.edu). The photographs (1887-1982) are mainly black and white, and portray UT buildings and assorted Texas architecture focusing on Austin and Dallas, a group of New Orleans French Quarter structures, and Viennese and Swiss buildings. Included in the UT SOA subseries are two groups of photos arising from student survey projects, recording the buildings of South Congress Street in Austin (1975) and of Victoria, Texas (1968).

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Access is by appointment only to any serious scholar. Rolled materials must be flattened before viewing. A three-day advance notice is required to flatten rolled materials. Portions of this collection are not processed and may not be accessible.

Restrictions on Use

Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Alexander Architectural Archive's Use Policy

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Drury Blakeley Alexander collection, the Alexander Architectural Archive, the University of Texas Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin

Processing Information

Processing is not completed. Please see archival staff for more information.

Detailed Description of the Collection

What follows are series descriptions of major groups of records in the collection, and a subject outline of the contents of each series. A folder inventory for the collection is not yet available. Please contact Archive staff for further information.