Background
Alexander James Harper was born in 1877 in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States.
Alexander James Harper was born in 1877 in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States.
He attended Harvard for a time, and in 1901 graduated in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania.
After a period of supplementary training with the firm of Tracy & Swartwout, and later McKim, Mead & White s office, in 1910 Mr. Harper left for Europe for several months of advanced study, particularly in architecture of the Italian Renaissance. Upon his return to New York he resumed work in McKim's office and for two years was connected with the planning of several of the firm’s important buildings in the city.
In the next phase of his career, 1912-15, he was a member of Mr. Roger’s office, later collaborated with Clay W. McClure in establishing an office in Wilmington, Delaware, under the name of McClure & Harper. The firm designed the famous greenhouse on the estate of Pierre S. DuPont, and was associated in the planning and supervision of work on the theatre in the Hotel DuPont. John J. Raskob was also a client for whom the firm did work on his estate Archmere" at Clayton, Del., and elsewhere. Withdrawing from the partnership in 1923, Mr. Harper went to Chicago to work for a year with Graham, Anderson, Probst & White on the design of the Cleveland Railroad Terminal, afterward returned to New York to again join Mr. Rogers, and remained in his office until 1932 when he was obliged to retire because of ill- health. During that period he worked on the plans of the Yale Club, a building in Washington Square for the New York University, South Hall at Columbia University (the present Library), and the Aetna Life Insurance Building at Hartford, Conn.