When you hear the name Baldwin, you probably think of the "30 Rock" star Alec or maybe Hailey Bieber. Most people don't go back further than the four famous brothers. But every dynasty starts somewhere. For this Hollywood powerhouse, the roots trace back to a man named Alexander Rae Baldwin Sr, a Brooklyn native whose life looked absolutely nothing like the red carpets his grandsons would eventually walk.
It's funny how history gets blurred. If you search for the name now, you’ll mostly find tributes from Alec about his father, Alexander Rae Baldwin Jr. But the "Senior" in this equation was the man who set the stage for the family's Long Island roots.
Honestly, he was just a regular guy. No Oscars. No paparazzi. Just a life built in early 20th-century New York.
Who Was Alexander Rae Baldwin Sr?
Born on March 25, 1897, in Brooklyn, Alexander Sr. came into a world that was rapidly changing. To put it in perspective, the Spanish-American War hadn't even started yet when he was an infant. He was the son of Sylvester Davis Baldwin and Helen Irene McNamara.
He wasn't an actor. He wasn't even a public figure.
Actually, records suggest he worked as a lawyer. That's a far cry from the "struggling artist" narrative people often project onto the family. He lived through the Great Depression and both World Wars, registering for military service in 1919. Basically, he was part of that "Greatest Generation" that valued stability and hard work over the limelight.
The Family Tree You’ve Probably Misread
There is a lot of confusion online because the family reused the name "Alexander Rae Baldwin" for three generations. It gets confusing. FAST.
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- Alexander Rae Baldwin Sr (1897–1969): The patriarch. The lawyer. The Brooklyn guy.
- Alexander Rae Baldwin Jr (1927–1983): The high school teacher and football coach. This is the man Alec, Stephen, William, and Daniel Baldwin talk about in interviews. He died young at age 55.
- Alexander Rae Baldwin III (Born 1958): This is Alec Baldwin.
So, when you see a heartfelt Instagram post from Alec talking about "Alexander Baldwin," he’s almost always talking about his dad (Jr.), not his grandfather (Sr.). Alexander Sr. lived to be 72, passing away on May 20, 1969. He lived just long enough to see his grandsons as young boys, but he died years before any of them became household names.
Life in Brooklyn and the Move to Long Island
Alexander Sr. spent the bulk of his life in the New York City area. He married Ruth Mary Noble around 1922. They had three sons: Alexander Jr., Joseph, and Charles.
Think about the atmosphere of a Brooklyn household in the 1920s and 30s. It was a Catholic upbringing—Irish, English, and French descent. That strict, traditional background is something Alec Baldwin has mentioned many times as being a defining characteristic of their family dynamic.
The pressure to perform? The drive to succeed? That didn't start with the Hollywood contracts. It started with men like Alexander Sr. who were trying to make it in the legal and professional world of New York.
The Career Path of the Original Baldwin
While the later generations were obsessed with the screen, the elder Alexander was grounded in the law. Some genealogical records list his profession as an attorney. It’s a detail that often gets skipped over because "High School Football Coach" (the son's job) makes for a better "humble beginnings" story for a movie star.
But having a lawyer for a grandfather means the Baldwins weren't just "lucky." They came from a lineage of educated, professional men.
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The move from the city out to the suburbs—specifically the Massapequa area where the brothers grew up—happened later with Alexander Jr., but the foundation was laid by Sr.’s ability to provide a stable middle-class life during some of the toughest economic decades in American history.
Why Alexander Rae Baldwin Sr Matters Today
You might wonder why we even talk about a man who died in 1969.
It’s about the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of family history. To understand why Alec Baldwin is so outspoken or why Stephen Baldwin is so dedicated to his beliefs, you have to look at the patriarch.
Alexander Sr. wasn't a celebrity, but he was the "Alpha" of a line that would eventually dominate American pop culture. He wasn't part of the "A-list," but he survived the 1918 flu pandemic and the crash of 1929.
He was the anchor.
If he hadn't built that life in Brooklyn and New York, the "Baldwin Brothers" phenomenon might never have happened. They would've been some other family in some other city.
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Correcting the Record: Common Misconceptions
People get the facts wrong all the time. Let’s clear a few things up.
- Did he act? No. There is no record of Alexander Sr. ever being involved in the performing arts.
- Was he rich? He was comfortable. Being a lawyer in New York in the mid-20th century provided a solid life, but he wasn't "Hamptons rich" like his grandsons are now.
- Where is he buried? He’s at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn. He stayed true to his roots until the end.
Actionable Insights for Genealogists and Fans
If you're digging into the Baldwin history, don't just stop at the Wikipedia page for Alec. Here is how you can actually verify this stuff:
- Check Census Records: Look for the 1930 and 1940 US Census for "Alexander Baldwin" in Brooklyn. You'll see his occupation and the names of his children, which confirms the "Senior" vs "Junior" distinction.
- Military Draft Cards: His WWI and WWII draft registrations are public. They offer a glimpse into his physical description and where he was working at the time.
- Cemetery Records: If you're ever in Brooklyn, Holy Cross Cemetery is a massive piece of New York history.
Understanding the "Senior" of the family gives you a much clearer picture of the Baldwin drive. It wasn't just a sudden burst of fame in the 1980s. It was a multi-generational climb from Brooklyn law offices to the peak of Hollywood.
The next time you see a Baldwin on screen, remember the lawyer from Brooklyn who started it all. He probably wouldn't believe what his last name stands for today.
To get a better sense of the family's transition to the public eye, you should look into the life of his son, Alexander Jr., who moved the family to Massapequa and became the legendary coach that the brothers still credit for their work ethic today. Knowing the grandfather is the first step; understanding the father is the second.