James Waddel Alexander (1804–1859) was an American Presbyterian preacher, theologian, and educator whose eloquent ministry and scholarly contributions left a significant mark on 19th-century evangelical Christianity. Born on March 13, 1804, in Louisa County, Virginia, he was the eldest son of Archibald Alexander, a prominent minister and the first professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, and Janetta Waddel, daughter of the renowned "Blind Preacher" James Waddel. Raised in Philadelphia and later Princeton, New Jersey, after his father’s 1812 appointment, Alexander graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1820 and studied divinity at Princeton Seminary, where he was licensed to preach in 1825. In 1830, he married Elizabeth Clarentine Cabell, with whom he had seven children, grounding his personal life amid his demanding career. Alexander’s preaching career began with his first pastorate at Charlotte Court House, Virginia (1826–1828), followed by a stint at First Presbyterian Church in Trenton, New Jersey (1829–1832). His rhetorical gifts led to a professorship of Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres at the College of New Jersey (1833–1844), but his heart remained in the pulpit, prompting his return to pastoral work at Duane Street Presbyterian Church in New York City (1844–1849). He briefly served as professor of Ecclesiastical History at Princeton Seminary (1849–1851) before resuming ministry at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York (1851–1859), where he preached until his death. Known for translating “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” and authoring works like Thoughts on Preaching, Alexander died of dysentery on July 31, 1859, at Red Sweet Springs, Virginia, leaving a legacy as a preacher whose intellectual depth and pastoral zeal enriched the Presbyterian Church.