Alexander Van Rensselaer

Alexander Van Rensselaer
Van Rensselaer, c. 1923-1933
Born	(1850-10-01)October 1, 1850 Burlington, New Jersey
Died	July 18, 1933(1933-07-18) (aged 82) Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Other names	Alex Van
Alma mater	Princeton University
Occupation	Tennis player, philanthropist
Spouse(s)	Sarah Drexel Fell (m. 1898; her death 1929)
Parent(s)	Cortlandt Van Rensselaer Catherine Ledyard
Relatives	Stephen Van Rensselaer III (grandfather) Stephen Van Rensselaer IV (uncle) Henry Bell Van Rensselaer (uncle) Henry Ledyard (uncle)

Alexander Van Rensselaer (October 1, 1850 – July 18, 1933) was an American philanthropist, sportsman and patron of Princeton University. A member of a prominent Philadelphia family, he played both tennis and cricket at high levels.

Alexander Van Rensselaer, known as Alec or Alex, was born on October 1, 1850 to the Rev. Cortlandt Van Rensselaer (1808–1860) and his wife, Catherine Ledyard (1811–1882), sister of Henry Ledyard. He was born into a wealthy and influential Philadelphian family. His paternal grandparents were Stephen Van Rensselaer III (1764–1839) and Cornelia Bell Paterson, the daughter of William Paterson, the 2nd Governor of New Jersey, and later, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. His paternal uncles included Stephen Van Rensselaer IV (1789-1868) and Henry Bell Van Rensselaer (1810–1864). He graduated from Princeton University in 1871.

Due to his and his wife's family wealth, it was never necessary for the couple to work for a living. Instead they focused on fostering science and arts in Philadelphia. From 1901 until shortly before his death, Alexander was president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. In addition, he was a member of the board of trustees at Princeton University. Sarah gave large parts of her wealth to the Drexel Institute that was founded by her father. In 1901, Alex and Sarah traveled around the world and were guests of Japanese Emperor Meiji, the British royal family and the Viceroy of India.