publications

Alexander, Hartley Burr

Hartley Burr Alexander, poet, philosopher, and anthropologist, is the man whose genius is behind the symbolism and inscriptions for the Nebraska State Capitol. Born in Lincoln on April 9, 1873, Alexander grew up in Syracuse, Nebraska, and was educated at the University of Nebraska. Graduate studies took him to the University of Pennsylvania, then to Columbia University, where he received his doctorate in philosophy in 1901. He worked in Boston as a contributor to and editor of a revised Webster’s Dictionary.



In 1906 Alexander received an appointment to the University of Nebraska to teach philosophy. This resulted in a productive nineteen years in Lincoln, many of them as chairman of the philosophy department. A popular teacher and lecturer, he wrote articles, editorials, and poems for a variety of newspapers. He presented a number of his own pageants and a light opera. In the scholarly field he published several books on American Indian mythology and its symbolism, a field for which he was a recognized authority. He served as the president of the American Philosophical Association in 1919.



In 1922 Bertram Goodhue, the architect of the new state capitol, commissioned Alexander to originate and develop fully the capitol’s symbolic program of inscriptions, sculpture, and mosaics. His collaborator on Goodhue’s team was Goodhue’s architectural sculptor of nearly three decades, Lee Lawrie, who created the Sower, and over a hundred additional sculptures, bas-relief panels, and other architectural design elements that adorn the building. Alexander’s success with this project prompted offers to carry out similar projects elsewhere, notably for the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, the Los Angeles Public Library, the Oregon State Capitol, and Rockefeller Center in New York.



In 1927 Alexander moved to California to develop Scripps College, a new college for women in Claremont. He taught philosophy until his death in Claremont on July 27, 1939, and was buried there. He was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1988.



 



(January 1998)



 

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

Other Publications

Crazy Horse Surrender Ledger Foreward

Red Dog, an Oglala Lakota who lived at the Red Cloud Agency, Nebraska, 1876-77 (Nebraska State Historical Society RG2955.ph). In the summer of 1876, following the ...

Darryl F. Zanuck

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl F. Zanuck (1902-1979), a native Nebraskan, produced some of Hollywood's most important and controversial films. He helped found 20th Century Fox ...

The Burlington’s Profitable Pork Special

Nebraska railroads were much concerned with developing an adequate economy in the areas they served. The Burlington, for example, had a long history of caring for the ...

Bungalow Filling Stations

After the giant Standard Oil Company was broken into thirty-four separate companies in 1911, the newly independent Standard Oil of Nebraska dominated the state's market ...

The Bull Fight

This is the perfect time of year for a visit to the old fishin' hole. But a group of fisherfolk from Plainview discovered that this bucolic pastime sometimes has ...

Buffalo Soldiers West

African-American soldiers on the western frontier are the focus of an exhibit at the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln. Buffalo Soldiers West, on loan from the Colorado ...

Protection for Buffalo

The extermination of the buffalo on the Plains occurred largely between 1870 and 1885. The Nebraska State Journal of Lincoln on February 1, 1874, editorialized in vain ...

Buffalo Hunting

In late October 1877 young Rolf Johnson and three friends left their homes in Phelps County, Nebraska, for a buffalo hunt in northeastern Colorado. The hunt was not very ...

Buffalo Hunt, by J. E. Johnson

Joseph E. Johnson, editor and publisher of The Huntsman's Echo of Wood River Centre in Buffalo County, took a hunting and exploring trip with friends during the summer ...

Buffalo Hunt at Niagara Falls

In 1872 James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok acted as master of ceremonies for a "Grand Buffalo Hunt" at Niagara Falls. Joseph G. Rosa's article on the hunt in the Spring ...

Buffalo Hunt, 1871

Buffalo were still relatively plentiful in western Nebraska in the early 1870s, and Nebraskans from more settled areas often went on hunting excursions. The exploits of ...

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, 1883

The first public performance of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West show was May 19, 1883, in Omaha. A dress rehearsal had taken place May 10 in Columbus. Several ...
About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.
Nebraska Collections
History Nebraska's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.
Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.