Dr. James Edward Alexander

Dr. James E. Alexander was born in Alexanderia, Louisiana in 1932 to John D. and Leona Alexander. Having lost both parents by the age of 10 years, he relied on relatives, friends and mentors to guide him through his formative years.  After graduating from Biloxi High School in 1950, James studied medicine at Tulane University, and upon receiving his Medical Doctor degree, he opened his own general practice in North Biloxi, now the City of D’Iberville. He would be the sole practitioner in the area for many years providing care to the residents regardless of their ability to pay, often taking goods, services, farm produce or just good faith in payment for delivering babies, performing surgeries and providing general care to families.

As a youth, James met his mentor and friend, Lynden Bowring, who taught him the love of Deer Island and the Gulf of Mexico, but also taught him he was a sailor at heart. While serving as a deckhand on the racing yacht “WINDJAMMER”, in World Cup Regattas, James found his feet for water and his very soul. One of his greatest joys throughout life was participating in local yacht races and teaching his ten children to sail, fish and love the Gulf of Mexico as he did.

Having a tirelessly creative mind and wonderfully gifted hands, Dr. Alexander paired his skill of homebuilding with his love of sailing. This culminated in the art of boat building for which he received multiple awards in the “Wooden Boat Division”. He was well known for his fine craftsmanship in building many things in his more than ninety years of life; however, he was primarily renowned for his wooden boat building skills. With his passion for working with various types of wood, he would spend days hand-sanding the surfaces of his boats to ensure a ‘fine furniture’ quality finish. Whether it was strip planking, lapstrake, carvel planking, or plywood construction, James would always research and consider which approach would give the boat the finish he desired. He ensured each creation was not only beautiful but seaworthy.

Such dedication to detail can be found in the “COQUINA”, a replica Bahama boat, which he generously donated to the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum. While the hull itself is beautifully crafted, the mast of this sailboat was hand-hewn by Dr. Alexander from timber that was specifically selected as it was descended from the reforestation efforts of Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville in 1700.  Dr. Alexander also worked with his son, Joseph, on the construction of a wooden shrimp boat they named “HAITI’S EXPRESS”, a vessel he would voyage across the Gulf of Mexico, stopping at various ports for the night, making many new friends and sharing stories… one of his favorite pastimes in his later years.

For his love of sailing and dedication to the fine and recently waning art of wooden boat building, Dr. James Alexander is recognized in the Heritage Hall of Fame.