Tuhia tētahi tohutoro mō tēnei rārangi - I haere a Alexander ki Central High School, ā, i puta i te tau 1917, i a ia e tuku ana i tētahi kōrero "The Future of the American Negro", i te hui whakawātea. 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, ka whakawakia a Madison Square Garden
mo te whakakahore i a ia kia uru mai i runga i te take o tona 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.