Horace Alexander

Horace Gundry Alexander (July 30, 1889 - September 30, 1989) was an English Quaker teacher and writer, pacifist and ornithologist. He was the brother of Wilfred Backhouse Alexander.

Alexander was a life-long dedicated and gifted birdwatcher, keenly involved in the twentieth century movements for the protection and observation of birds. He was one of a small group of amateur birdwatchers who developed the skills and set new standards for combining the pleasures of birdwatching with the satisfaction of contributing to ornithological science. He made many significant observations, mainly in Britain but also in India and the USA, and was well respected for his work.

Alexander lived in England for most of his life but made his home in the USA for his later years. A Quaker and pacifist, he had a close friendship with Gandhi (who, in 1942, described Alexander as "one of the best English friends India has"), and in 1984 was awarded the Padma Bhushan medal, the highest honour given to a non-Indian civilian. He was also a founder member of the West Midland Bird Club, and its president, during his long residence in Birmingham, England.

Bibliography

Alexander's books include

• Joseph Gundry Alexander
• The Indian Ferment (1929)
• India Since Cripps (1941)
• New Citizens of India (1951)
• Consider India: An Essay in Values (1961)
• Gandhi Through Western Eyes (1969)
• 70 Years of Birdwatching (1974)

Biography

• J. Duncan Wood - Horace Alexander: Birds and Binoculars ISBN 1850722897

External link

• Papers in the Swarthmore College Peace Collection (page includes biography)