Hartley Burr Alexander was a philosopher, educator, poet, author, and anthropologist. He was perhaps best known as author of the symbolism and inscriptions on the Nebraska State Capitol, Memorial Stadium, and other buildings across the United States.

Born in Lincoln on April 9, 1873, he was the sixth of seven children of minister & newspaper editor George Alexander and his wife Abby. His mother died when he was three and his father then married artist & educator Susan Godding. In 1882, the family moved to Syracuse when his father purchased the local paper, the Syracuse Journal. His boyhood home still stands at 4th and Poplar Street and is privately owned. Following his graduation from Syracuse High School in 1892, he received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 1897, and later a doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University in 1901. In 1908, he returned to the University of Nebraska as Dean of the philosophy department.

While in Lincoln, Alexander was successful in several fields. He gained popularity as both a lecturer and teacher. He conducted fieldwork in Native American anthropology and authored multiple books on the spiritual aspect of native songs, rituals, and the symbolism in Native American mythology. In 1922, the architect building the new state capitol, Bertram Goodhue, commissioned Alexander to design the building’s symbolic scheme of inscriptions, mosaics, and sculptures. Renowned architectural sculptor Lee Lawrie collaborated with him on the capital project. They also worked together to create the family monument at Park Hill cemetery after his sister Alice’s death in 1924. In 1927, Alexander moved to Claremont, California, where he taught philosophy until his death on July 27, 1939. He was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1988.