About Harold

Harold, professor emeritus of design, University of Illinois and the University of Minnesota, has long been interested in the indoor and outdoor environments and in improving the human condition of the people of the world. He has taught art, crafts, and design at all levels, kindergarten through university graduate school. He is the author of Design: Criteria for Decisions (Macmillan, 1976. 556 pp.), and Scraps of Paper Lore (Maralex Studios, 2000. 78 pp.) He has co-authored (with Marjorie) Design Principles and Practices (an American Institute of Kitchen Dealers manual, 1972. 75pp.), and Handcrafted Paper & Paper Products made from Indigenous Plant Fibers (Arabic language edition: Center for the Environment and Development Arab Regions and Europe, Cairo, Egypt. 1995. English language edition: Maralex Studios, 1997, 2007. 150 pp.)

He has been the designer of seven restaurants ("Alexanders," given a special award by Restaurant and Hotel Design magazine, 1985, and "Porches," awarded "best low budget restaurant interior in Twin Cities, 1989). In 1991, the interior design furniture collection at the University of Illinois for which he was largely responsible for acquiring was named "The Alexander Collection" in his honor and exhibited at the Krannert Museum, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. Earlier he established and directed the art and art education baccalaureate degree programs at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ (1957-1966) and established and directed the interior design baccalaureate degree program at the University of Illinois (1966-1980). At the centennial celebration of the College of Human Ecology, University of Minnesota (2000), Harold was honored as one of the 100 individuals selected "who throughout their lives and work...apply their particular art or science to improve the quality of everyday life." Harold and Marjorie were the curators of a major exhibition "Paper: Trivia & Treasure" at the Goldstein, The Museum of Design, University of Minnesota, 2000.

In addition, Harold Alexander has developed and guided three design-focused tours to Western Europe (1978, 6 weeks, 39 participants; 1984, 7 weeks, 29 participants; and 1986, 2 weeks, 8 participants); one tour to Greece and Western Turkey (1979, 2 weeks, 28 participants); and one tour (with Marjorie) to Egypt (1997, 11 days, 25 participants). He has traveled three times around the world visiting 32 countries focusing primarily upon the local design climate and handcrafted paper production centers.

During the past 25 years, he has served as technical consultant with Marjorie in starting hand papermaking centers using indigenous and renewable non-wood fibers in Kingston, Jamaica; Castries, St Lucia; Cairo, Egypt, and in the United States.

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