Alexander was first called to Washington, D.C. in 1963 to serve as a foreign affairs officer on the National Security Council staff, having been recommended to John F. Kennedy by McGeorge Bundy.[a][b] He became the administration's unofficial adviser on race, with Kennedy asking him to observe the March on Washington.[a] Alexander later served as deputy special assistant to Lyndon B. Johnson, associate special counsel, and deputy special counsel on the White House staff all during the span of 1964 to 1967.[3] While serving as Deputy Special Assistant and Deputy Special Counsel to the White House, he was an invited speaker at the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs 35th Biennial convention.[5]
Throughout Johnson's presidency, Alexander continued to act as his go-between with the African American community, notably in the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.[a] As a special representative of the President, Alexander headed the American delegation to ceremonies marking the independence of the Kingdom of Swaziland in 1968.[3]
Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Alexander was appointed as the chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1967. During his tenure he elevated the agency to play a significant role in fighting workplace discrimination. He resigned from the agency in 1969, after President Richard Nixon demoted him from chairman to commissioner.[a]
Alexander returned to public service as Secretary of the Army under the Carter Administration, serving from 1977 to 1981.[b][6] He was the first African American appointed to this Cabinet position.[a][b] During this time, he concentrated upon improving the all-volunteer Army, stressing programs to enhance professionalism, and emphasizing the award of contracts to minority businesses to fulfill the federal commitment to encourage diversity.[b][6] He also sought to eliminate barriers to women and racial minorities being promoted to the rank of general.[b][8] One of the beneficiaries of Alexander's efforts was Colin Powell, who finished second in his class at the Army Command and General Staff College.[b] Alexander also endorsed the increases in salary for military personnel and military budget at the end of the Vietnam War, stating that it was "a quality Army" with members who "work hard [and] take their training and their missions seriously".[b]
Later life
After his tenure as Secretary of the Army ended in 1981, Alexander formed the consulting firm of Alexander and Associates with his wife.[a] In addition, he served on the boards of directors of several national corporations and was a member of the Board of Governors of the American Stock Exchange.[9] He served as a political and campaign advisor to Barack Obama in 2008.[a]
During an interview for the Koeppel report in the 1980, Alexander confessed that he expected to die before seeing an African-American Senator, President or head of a Fortune 500 company.[10]
Alexander was outspoken in his opposition to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of the military, signed a statement in November 2008 calling for its repeal so that gays could serve openly.[11] He also expressed his point of view on the matter in his interviews by Rachel Maddow on April 3 and May 11, 2009,[12][13] as well as on June 28, 2013.[14]
Alexander was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.[15] He relocated to Manhattan in 2013.[b] He died on July 3, 2022, at his home in Manhattan. He was 88, and suffered from heart failure prior to his death.[a][b]
