User:James Edward Alexander

Biography

James Edward Alexander departed Valdosta, Georgia in 1951, on his 17th birthday, and entered the U.S. Air Force with the goal of serving his country and further educating himself. In his first military school he trained to be a surgical technician. Later, after training at the School of Aviation Medicine, he qualified as a paramedic. In 1956 he attended his first college class at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas. When he was transferred to England, he resumed his off duty education at the University of Maryland Extension, at an American military base near London.

The Air Force observed his communications skills and returned him to the classroom for training as a journalist and broadcaster. During his assignment as Station Manager of an Armed Forces Radio/Television station in Greenland, in 1965, he so distinguished himself that he was awarded his second Air Force Commendation Medal. With that recognition, he was assigned as a senior instructor in broadcasting at the prestigious Defense Information School, then located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis is the home of Butler University, and a campus of Indiana University. Both schools advanced his education.

In 1969, after attending military and civilian schools wherever he was stationed, he qualified for Operation Bootstrap, a one year leave of absence from military service to complete his college education. Alexander chose Indiana University, where, in 1970, after 14 years of persistence, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Broadcast Management, he says, “With the support of my former spouse and our four children.”

Following his retirement from military service in 1971, he held management and sales positions with Time Life Broadcasting Company, McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company, Combined Communications, Press Secretary for the re-election campaign of a U.S. Senator, and videotape operator for the ABC Network.

“At the age of 52, I felt the urge to complete a list of personal objectives. My path led me to the Whittier Law School, where, with the help of my present wife, I prepared to pass the California Bar Examination, on the initial attempt, at age 56.”

From 1991 to 2003 he was a partner in the law firm of Adams and Alexander, with law offices in Pasadena, and Beverly Hills. He is a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of The United States, United States Circuit Court of Appeals (Ninth Circuit), United States District Court (Central District of California), and the State Bar of California.

Publications:

Author of, "If I Should Die Before I Wake...What Happens to My Stuff?"

This booklet provides checklists for collecting and maintaining information to help you live a better life, while preparing for a peaceful death.

Author of, "Halfway Home From Kinderlou."

Through a collection of short stories, a grandfather describes his happy childhood in the small town of Valdosta, Georgia. It was a simple time when children played simple games with simple toys. Those were the days when failure of a child to say "yes ma'am" and "yes sir" to grown folks was considered an act of disrespect which brought swift rebuke and punishment from the disrespected adult and the child's parents. Most homeowners in his neighborhood only dreamed of indoor plumbing, electric lights and home telephone service.

Despite the prevailing social order, dictated by racial segregation which choked the advancement of some of his neighbors, little James Edward was often permitted broader liberties to expand his borders simply because all of the adults encouraged his growth. His timing was right. Colored adults nourished his self confidence as though vicariously rekindling their own aspirations. White adults saw a fast moving innocent youngster with a cautious and keen intellect, so letting him roam was a gift to a child which did not threaten their prerogatives. So adults of both races sought ways to assuage the harshness of segregation for little James Edward by smothering him with affection and special attention. The effects of this esteem are reflected in his pleasant memories of the post depression years and other events of that time.

Coming Soon is James Edward Alexander's, " Forks in the Road."

This is volume II of memories of a wonderful life. In volume I, Half Way Home From Kinderlou, published in (2008), I shared some pleasant memories before my teen years in Valdosta, Georgia.

Teen ages are that interlude between childhood and adulthood; a period of simultaneous rapid growth and decline, when there is so much more to learn, while forgetting the habits of kindergarten. Teen ages are the days when parents and the community subject youthful behavior to closer scrutiny, looking for confirmation of what should have been learned after they excused childish missteps as innocent or “cute.” In that period of youthful sunshine I spent much of my excess energy as the high school quarterback, playing semi-pro baseball and learning why my body suddenly felt different in the presence of girls. As I approached graduation from high school I also realized that my future was beyond the socioeconomic boundary of Valdosta.

On my 17th birthday, June 21, 1951, I awoke in a racially segregated neighborhood. Before sunset I took a fork in the road that led into a community of different races, colors, ethnicities, and religions, where I was expected to instantaneously deport myself by a set of alien guidelines formulated by persons whose lifestyles and experiences differed from mine. There were no preparatory sessions for the physical, psychological, emotional or social transition, though all signs and symbols translated into a clear message: henceforth, my life would be significantly altered and measured by the new standards. At times the lessons were painful and pleasant; degrading and uplifting; humorous and sad, frightening and courageous; defeating and rewarding; daring and cautious, but always exciting.

At the end of Half Way Home From Kinderlou I observed: “Good memories are treasures that we horde for ourselves. Sometimes they are the only currency that can buy peace of mind. They give us safe passage to where we were once content. And good memories are not exhausted by time.”