On June 3, 1973 Des Moines lost a true first lady: Audra Alexander. While some knew her solely as the wife of Archie Alexander many more recognized her as an actress, socialite, philanthropist and connoisseur of the arts. Initially, my research, found it challenging to uncover her contributions, as she seemed was overshadowed by the accomplishments of her husband, who was a renowned engineer and politician. However, as I scrolled through more newspapers and pictures I became better acquainted with the Alexanders. Here’s what I found:
Audra Linzy was born in Wheeler County, Nebraska, in 1889 and later relocated with her family to Denver, Colorado. In 1913, Archie Alexander swept her off of her feet, and the pair were married. They decided to start their new life in Archie’s home town of Des Moines, Iowa. Audra became very involved in the social scene particularly with acting. She participated in several plays of all kinds ranging from drama to comedy. In 1916, she played the role of Miss Johnnie Bell Randolph in the play Southern Cinderella performed with the Kimona Dramatic Club. She continued her career in 1918 with Robert M. Baker’s comedy For One Night Only and in 1919 was awarded with the leading role, Mrs. Western, in the drama The Bracelet by Alfred Sutton. She also preformed in church benefit plays such as Maud Crane in 1915. These performances were often organized and sponsored by community organizations, mainly, the Des Moines chapter of the NAACP or the Mary Church Terrell Club.
As I discovered more about the Alexanders I learned that they were VERY involved with the NAACP. As a matter of fact, around the time of Southern Cinderella, Archie Alexander was elected to the vice presidential position of the DM NAACP. Two years later, the perfect pair shared quite the parallel when in 1918 Audra was chosen for the same position in the National Association of Colored Women. She inducted over 253 new members into the program. This same year she became secretary of the Mary Church Terrell Club No. 1 , a national social club for Black women dedicated to civil rights and the uplifting of Black Americans. The Des Moines chapter of The Links Inc., an elite volunteer service organization for African American women, so elite that it was invite only, was chartered in her home. Because of her love for the arts she was also involved in the Dilettante Club, which supported Black art and music in the community. During this time, the power couple’s status grew immensely as they had solidified their position in the social scene.
I struggled to find information about the Alexander’s lives from the 1920s-1940 but the paper trail picked back up in 1944 with the house on Chautauqua Parkway.
By the 1940s, the Alexanders were quite financially comfortable and decided to buy a house in North Des Moines. The house at 2200 Chautauqua Parkway caught their eye and in January of 1944 they attempted to purchase it. However, the other residents of this all-white North Des Moines neighborhood, were not in favor of sharing their neighborhood with a Black couple, no matter how successful. The other property owners attempted to enforce a restrictive covenant which stated that “any person of African descent” was restricted from buying the property until 1948. This led to an 11-month lawsuit against the Alexanders which was ultimately dropped, allowing the Alexanders to proceed with the purchase.
With their accumulated wealth and status the Alexanders attracted the eye of the President Dwight Eisenhower, because of Archie’s longstanding support. The President granted Mr. Alexander the position of governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1954 which he graciously accepted after visiting the territory with his wife and experiencing its beauty. Unfortunately, the couple was forced to move back home after Archie was plagued with heart issues. A few years after their departure Archie passed away in their Chautauqua home from a heart attack in 1958 leaving Audra a widow. He was preceded in death by their son Archie Alexander Jr. who tragically passed in 1939 at the age of 14.
Audra lived another 15 years, and continued contributing to the progress and wellbeing of Black women and girls in Iowa and across the nation. As a part of the National Association of Colored Women she funded and assisted with the Memorial Home Fund, which raised money for the memorialization of the home of Frederick Douglass. Madame CJ Walker also participated and performed the mortgage burn for the property, ensuring its financial safety.
At the end of her life in 1973 Audra’s estate was estimated to have a value of $164, 643, the equivalent for this today is over $1 million dollars. The majority of this was from stocks and bonds and the rest was a combination of the value of the home, her husband’s trust fund, and miscellaneous assets. Her home went to another Iowa power couple, prominent lawyers Luther and Willie Glanton. Luther would go on to become the first African-American judge in Iowa 1958. Willie was the first African-American member of the Des Moines City Council and one of the first African Americans elected to the Iowa Legislature in 1964. After her death, Audra’s considerable wealth was distributed to her family, as well as to hospitals, St. Paul AME, which she attended regularly, as well as other churches and social organizations. A scholarship fund was created in her name to help pay for the college education of African-American Iowa students.
Although her husband’s career often overshadowed her achievements, Audra Alexander’s significant contributions to the arts and civil rights stand as a powerful testament to her own enduring impact and legacy.
Sources
- Afro-American Notes The Des Moines Register Oct 31, 1915 pg 60
- Executive Board of Local Branch Meets The Des Moines Register January 7, 1916 p 10
- Give Play at East High The Des Moines Register January 23, 1916 p 18
- Mrs. McCree Elected President The Des Moines Register January 20, 1918 p 5
- To Give Comedy The Des Moines Register April 8, 1918 p 10
- Play Leading Roles in Drama The Des Moines Register June 06, 1919 p 4
- Negro group Drive Closes Des Moines Tribune May, 23, 1929 pg 27
- House Deal Is Blocked For Negro The Des Moines Register September 5, 1954 p 11
- Audra Alexander Obituary Iowa Digital Library June 3, 1973 Women’s Suffrage in Iowa Collection (Photo credit)
- Alexander Estate of $164,643 Des Moines Tribune December 19, 1973 p 39
- Club Event Honors Black Achievements Des Moines Tribune October 25, 1975 p 5
- Black male role models honored The Des Moines Register, Patricia Rojas February 3, 1993 p 45
- House was center of dispute The Des Moines Register February 16, 2000 p 85
- The Links Inc. of DM Celebrates 50 years The Des Moines Register November 6, 2007 p 14
- Historic home owner in battle with Des Moines over deep backyard hole WHO Des Moines 13, Justin Surrency, March 22, 2022
- Black History Month: Housing Inequality in Des Moines We Are Iowa, Larissa Miles February 20, 2024
