archie alexander and maurice repass were college classmates at the university iowa, where they studied engineering and played together on the university of iowa football team. alexander was an african-american, the second black to play on the iowa football team. he was the leading partner of the firm, brought in repass, and they specialized in the construction bridges around the united states, including here in washington, the whitehurst freeway and the cuts bridge, which over the tidal basin during their construction of, the cuts bridge and the adjoining sections, the seawall. they employed fully integrated work crew of 160 employees that helped build features. on the south shore of the tidal basin had long been envisioned as a possible location for a major to help anchor the cross access of monuments and government along the national mall. running east to west. from the capitol. through the washington to the lincoln memorial and south. from the white house to the shore of the tidal basin. franklin delano roosevelt was very interested in creating a monument to thomas jefferson and inq