Alexander Van Rensselaer

Alexander Van Rensselaer ( born October 1, 1850 in New Jersey; † July 18, 1933 ) was an American tennis player and promoter of Princeton and Drexel University.

Life

Van Rensselaer came from a wealthy and influential family from Philadelphia. His ancestor was Kiliaen van Rensselaer, a co-founder of the Dutch East India Company, his grandfather Stephen Van Rensselaer.

Alexander Van Rensselaer studied at Princeton University and graduated in 1871. In January 1897, he married Sarah Drexel Fell, whom he had met at a sailing trip on the May family yacht.

Due to the wealth of his family, he was never forced to finance his living by work. Van Rensselaer therefore devoted himself instead to promote science and the arts. From 1901 until shortly before his death he was president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. He was a member of the governing body (Board of Trustees ) of Princeton University, and in 1908 its chairman. From 1897 he was also director of the Drexel Institute (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia, which he bequeathed part of his fortune after his death.

1901 on the couple traveled around the world and has been a visiting Japanese Emperor Meiji, the English royal family and of the Viceroy of India.

Van Rensselaer was also an excellent tennis player. 1881, 1883 and 1884 he reached the doubles final at the U.S. Championships.

He died in July 1933 at the age of 82 years.