EDWIN C. ALEXANDER PAPERS
1902-68 and undated

East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, TN 37614-0138

Request Information here.
Telephone: (423) 439-4338

INTRODUCTION

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance: The Edwin C. Alexander Papers were donated to the Archives of Appalachia by Edwin C. Alexander, Elizabethton, Tennessee, January 13, 1995 and opened to researchers in December 1996.

Access: The papers are open for research.

Processing Information:Processing of the collection was completed in 1996 by Ned Irwin.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Dr. James Harvey Alexander (1845-1905), his son Edwin Crawford Alexander, Sr. (1879-1945), and his grandson, Edwin Crawford Alexander, Jr. (1917- ) have been prominent business and civic leaders in Elizabethton, Tennessee, during the period spanned by this collection, 1902-68. Edwin, Sr., commonly known as Crawford, served as Elizabethton city manager (1934-45) and as postmaster, helped organize and served as president of the First National Bank of Elizabethton, was president of Mountain Springs Water Company, Acme Coal and Land Company, and the Watauga Development Corporation, and served as a Republican member of the State Election Commission. In the 1920s, he was instrumental in bringing two large textile plants to the city, American Bemberg Corporation and American Glanzstoff Corporation, forerunner of the present North American Rayon Corporation. Edwin, Jr. served on the Elizabethton City Council (1952-56) and was the owner of Alexander Insurance Agency.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Edwin C. Alexander Papers consists primarily of the personal papers of Alexander's father, E. C. (Crawford) Alexander, Sr. and includes correspondence, newsclippings (copies), legal documents, a scrapbook (copy), and miscellaneous printed matter related to his personal and civic affairs as a prominent businessman and civic leader in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Included is material documenting his efforts to bring the rayon plants of American Bemberg Corporation and American Glanzstoff Corporation to Elizabethton, as well as his work as city manager in guiding Elizabethton through the difficult economic times of the 1930s. There is also limited correspondence of James H. Alexander, E. C. Alexander, Sr.'s father, with Congressman Walter P. Brownlow, along with a photograph of James H. Alexander. The photograph has been removed and is stored by accession number in Photographic Small Collections. Also included are copies of some newspaper clippings related to civic activities of Edwin C. Alexander, Jr. Materials span 1902-68 with some undated clippings.

Oranization:The collection is arranged in folders alphabetically by document type. Within each folder, material is filed chronologically with undated material filed at the back of the folder. Correspondents include Walter P. Brownlow, Thad A. Cox, Ben W. Hooper, Kenneth McKeller, B. Carroll Reece, and J. Will Taylor.

Important subjects covered in the collection include:

Alexander, E. C. (Edwin Crawford), 1879-1945
Alexander, Edwin C. (Edwin Crawford), 1917-
Alexander, James Harvey, 1845-1905
American Bemberg Corp.
American Glanzstoff Corp.
Carter County (Tenn.)--Politics and government
Elizabethton (Tenn.)--Elections
Elizabethton (Tenn.)--History
Elizabethton (Tenn.)--Industry
Elizabethton (Tenn.)--Politics and government
Johnson County (Tenn.)--Elections
Rayon industry and trade--Tennessee--Elizabethton
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945-- Assassination attempt, 1933
Strikes--Elizabethton (Tenn.)
Tennessee--Politics and government

ITEM LIST

Container No. 1:

1. Correspondence, 1902-45
2. Legal documents, 1931-37
3. Miscellaneous material, 1931-45
4. Newspaper clippings, 1933-59 and undated
5. Political papers, 1968 and undated
6. Scrapbook (copy), 1929 and undated
7. "Watauga Valley, Town Site of the Co-operative Town Company of Elizabethton, East Tennessee," undated

INDEX*

* Index citations refer to the folder where material on the particular subject will be found.

Acme Coal and Land Co.: 6
Alexander, E. C., Sr.: 1-6
Alexander, E. C., Jr.: 1, 4-5
Alexander, James C.: 6
Alexander, James H.: 1 and photograph

Alexander, Lillian (Mrs. E. C., Sr.): 1
Alexander, Sarah Virginia: 1
Alexander, Senorita Virginia (Mrs. James H.): 4
Alexander, Thad C.: 1
American Bemberg Corp.: 2, 4, 6

American Glanzstoff Corp.: 2, 4, 6
Brabson, T. D.: 1
Brenner, Lester: 6
Brownlow, Walter P.: 1
Carter County, Tenn. -- elections: 4-6

-- politics and government: 1, 4-6

Co-operative Town Company: 7
Cox, Thad A.: 1, 6
Elizabethton Ice and Coal Co.: 6
Elizabethton, Tenn. -- elections: 4-6

-- history: 1-2, 4-6, 7
-- industry: 2, 6
-- politics and government: 1-2, 4-6 

Elizabethton Trust Company: 4
First National Bank of Elizabethton: 1-3, 6

Top of Index

Ford, Nettie: 1
Hampton, Tenn.: 6
Hannah, Harvey H.: 1
Holt, A. D. (Andy): 4
Hooper, Ben W.: 1

Johnson County (Tenn.) -- elections: 1, 5
Labor relations: 6
Lincoln, Abraham: 6
Matthews, Ross: 6
McKellar, Kenneth: 1, 6

Mountain Spring Water Company: 1, 6
Myers, Newton: 6
"National Appalachian Park" bill: 1
Ogdin, George L.: 1, 3
Rayon industry: 2, 4, 6

Reece, B. Carroll: 1, 6
Ring, J. W.: 6
Robinson, J. D.: 1, 6
Roosevelt, Franklin D., assassination attempt on: 1
Rotary Club: 6

Top of Index

Shoun, M. B.: 1
State Election Commission: 6
Stauffer, J. M.: 1
Strikes (labor): 6
Susong, James A.: 1

Taylor, G. Tom: 6
Taylor, J. Will: 1
Tennessee -- history: 6

-- politics and government: 1, 6

Unions (labor): 6
University of Tennessee--alumni: 4

Vines, D. A.: 1
Watauga Development Corp.: 6
Watauga Valley: 7
Watson, Charles N.: 4

Top of Index

Top of Finding Aid

MTC 07/01