UR 1.1 James MacAlister papers, 1889-1941, 0.66 cubic feet
James MacAlister (1840-1913) served as the first president of the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry from 1891 to 1913. He was a proponent of vocational and technical education throughout his career. This collection documents his term as president, his views on education, and his involvement in the early history of the Drexel Institute. Records include MacAlister’s letters, a book that he published, lectures, and his personal notebook, as well as research notes believed to have been compiled by Harriet Worrell for the book Drexel Institute of Technology 1891-1941: A Memorial History. Of particular interest in the collection are letters to Booker T. Washington and Andrew Carnegie and correspondence with James Wilson and Wilson Brothers & Company, the architectural firm that designed Drexel’s first two buildings.