William Douglass Alexander, Marine Engineer
William D. Alexander, whose maritime career took place on the waters of the Thames River except for service during World War I, was born in Groton, Connecticut, in 1890, the son of William F. Alexander and Elizabeth Cullen Alexander. After graduating from Groton Heights Grammar School in 1907, his maritime career began in 1909 when he was employed as a fireman aboard the ferryboats Governor Winthrop and Col. Ledyard of the Thames Ferry Company. These boats provided regular service across the Thames between New London and Groton before the first road bridge opened in 1919.
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