Senior District Judge Alexander Harvey, II was born in 1923 in Baltimore, Maryland. Judge Harvey attended Yale University from 1941-43, until World War II intervened, and he entered active duty in the United States Army. Upon his release from the Army in 1946, Judge Harvey achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant and received several honors, including the Air Medal, Oak Leaf Cluster, 1945 European Theater of Operations. Judge Harvey returned to Yale University in 1946, and received his B.A. in 1947, Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to attain his law degree from Columbia University Law School in 1950.

In 1950, Judge Harvey joined the firm of Ober, Grimes and Stinson in Baltimore where he remained until 1955. From 1955-57, he served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland. He returned to Ober, Grimes and Stinson in 1957, until he received a call from President Johnson on September 4, 1966, advising him of his nomination to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Subsequently, on September 22, 1966, Judge Harvey received his commission as United States District Judge. Judge Harvey had the distinction to serve as chief judge for the District of Maryland from February, 1986 to March 8, 1991, when he assumed senior status. On January 30, 2004 Judge Harvey took inactive senior status.

Judge Harvey was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1950, and is also a member of the American, Maryland State and Baltimore City Bar Associations. He served on the Grievance Committee of the Baltimore City Bar Association from 1960-62. In addition, Judge Harvey was a member of the Governor's Committee on Blue Sky Laws from 1960-62; a member of the Coordinating Committee for Multiple Litigation from 1968-73; a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of Criminal Law from 1975-83, serving as its chairman from 1978-83; as a member of the Speedy Trial Planning Group for Maryland in 1975; and as President of the District Judges Association of the Fourth Circuit from 1988 to 1990.. Judge Harvey is also a member of the American Judicature Society; the Maritime Law Association; the Maryland Club; the Elkridge Club; the Yale Club of New York City; the Fishers Island Club; and the Lawyers Round Table. He was formerly a member of the Wranglers Law Club.