Archie A. Alexander, architectural engineer and former governor of the Virgin Islands, died on this day in 1958 at the age of 69. He had been appointed governor of the Virgin Islands by President Eisenhower in 1954. This coachman’s son earned an engineering degree from the State University of Iowa, where he became the first African American to graduate from its College of Engineering in 1912. Archie A. Alexander went on to establish a successful engineering firm, Alexander & Repass, which played a significant role in major infrastructure projects across the U.S., including roads, bridges, and airfields. His career combined technical excellence with a commitment to public service, culminating in his appointment as governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he worked to improve the territory’s infrastructure and administration.