Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I haere a Alexander ki te Kura Tuarua o Central, a, i puta ia i te tau 1917, i te tuku i tetahi korero "Ko te Future of the American Negro", i te huihuinga timatanga. I uru ia ki te Whare Waananga o Pennsylvania me te karahipi tohu me te mea ko ia te kaitohutohu pango tuatahi o te Wharton School of Business i te 1920. Kātahi ka uru ia ki te Kura Ture o Harvard. I a ia i reira, i whiwhi oranga a Alexander mā te mahi hei kaiāwhina whakaako i te tau kura. I nga raumati, i haere ia ki nga akomanga mo te tohu paetahi mo te putaiao torangapu i te Whare Wananga o Columbia, ahakoa kaore ia i whakaoti i te tohu. I Columbia, i tautoko a Alexander i a ia ano ma te mahi hei kaikawe mo te Delaware, Lackawanna me te Western Railroad. I a ia e ako ana i te kura ture, ka whakawakia e Alexander tana kerēme whakawehi tuatahi, i te whakawakanga
Madison Square Garden mō te kore i whakaae ki a ia kia uru mai i runga i tōna iwi, he takahi i te ture tika ōrite o New York. I te mea kaore ano kia whakaaetia ia ki te kaitohutohu, ka utua e Alexander tetahi roia hei tu mo ia.