Franz Gabriel Alexander was born in Budapest on 22 January 1891. He was the first son born after three daughters. His father, Dr Bernard Alexander, was a professor of philosophy at the University of Budapest, a Shakespearean scholar and theatre critic. To the Alexander home came many of the intelligentsia of Europe. Franz in his early years was exposed to the world of ideas in philosophy, aesthetics, language and, from a successful uncle, a chemist, to scientific ideas. In his autobiographical writing, Dr Alexander mentioned his identification with an idealization of his father, while of his mother he gave only a shadowy image. As the first son, however, we can conjecture that he was not only expected to fulfil his father's ambitions but also that he must have been the much beloved son of his mother. During his years in the gymnasium he turned from humanistic philosophy to scientific interests; although, as shown by his