W. H. Alexander was the lay leader of the Unitarian church for many years. He was the first professor hired at the newly-formed University of Alberta in 1908. A beloved teacher known to his students as Doc Alik, he headed the Classics Department for many years and was later dean of arts and science.

He was also the first elected president of the McKernan Community League, founded in 1932. From the McKernan website: “The Professor was reputed for his intellectual prowess and his liberal and Unitarian beliefs. In the early 1920's, he was the darling of the anti-prohibitionists and represented them at public forums, some of which were held at community leagues. Professor Alexander was of the ‘moderation party’ he clashed with what he called the ‘prohibition propagandists,’ arguing that prohibition would surely make the population into ‘stool pigeons and other non-heroic elements.’”

When Alexander left Edmonton in 1938, the First Unitarian Church of Edmonton folded.

© 2010 Unitarian Church of Edmonton