Ellison, Ralph

Variant names
Americans,

Biographical notes:

Biographical Note

Ralph Ellison

1914, Mar.1 Born, Oklahoma City, Okla. 1933 1936 Attended Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Ala. 1938 1942 Researcher, Federal Writers' Project, Works Progress Administration Married Rose Poindexter (divorced 1945) 1939 Published short story “Slick Gonna Learn” in Direction 1940 Published short story “The Birthmark” in New Masses Published short story “Afternoon” in American Writing, ed. Hans Otto Storm and others. Prairie City, Ill.: J. A. Decker 1941 Published short story “Mister Toussan” in New Masses 1942 Managing editor, Negro Quarterly 1943 1945 Seaman, merchant marine 1944 Published short story “Flying Home” in Cross Section, ed. Edwin Seaver. New York: L. B. Fischer Published short story “King of the Bingo Game” in Tomorrow 1945 Received Rosenwald Fellowship 1946 Married Fanny McConnell Buford 1948 Published short story “Battle Royal” in ’48, The Magazine of the Year 1952 Published Invisible Man. New York: Random House 1953 Received National Book Award for Invisible Man 1955 1957 Received American Academy of Arts and Letters Fellowship for study in Rome 1958 1961 Instructor, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. 1960 Published short story “And Hickman Arrives” in The Noble Savage 1961 Alexander White Visiting Professor, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill. 1962 1964 Visiting Professor of Writing, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. 1964 Published Shadow and Act. New York: Random House 1964 1965 Visiting Fellow in American Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. 1966 1972 Honorary consultant in American Letters, Library of Congress 1967 1977 Trustee, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. 1968 1979 Board of Directors, Educational Broadcasting Corp. 1969 Decorated chevalier l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom 1969 1982 Trustee, New School for Social Research, New York, N.Y. 1970 1975 Trustee, Bennington College, Bennington, Vt. 1970 1979 Albert Schweitzer Professor of Humanities, New York University, New York, N.Y. 1970 1985 Board of Directors, Museum of the City of New York, New York, N.Y. 1971 1984 Trustee, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation 1972 1985 Board of Visitors, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C. 1975 Opening of Ralph Ellison Branch, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City, Okla. 1985 Awarded National Medal of Arts 1986 Published Going to the Territory. New York: Random House 1994, Apr. 16 Died, New York, N.Y. 1999 Posthumous publication, Juneteenth. New York: Random House

Fanny McConnell Ellison

[1911 ?], Nov. 27 Born, Louisville, Ky. 1932 1933 Attended Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn. 1936 B.A., University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa Married Rodney G. Higgins (divorced 1937) 1938 Founded Negro People's Theatre, Chicago, Ill. 1939 Married Ligon Buford (divorced 1945) 1939 1941 Assistant to John Sengstacke and columnist, Chicago Defender 1942 Typist, Navy Yard, Washington D.C. Researcher, War Production Board, Washington, D.C. 1943 1945 Research assistant, National Urban League, New York, N.Y. 1945 1946 Director of publicity, New York City Housing Authority 1946 Married Ralph Ellison 1946 1953 Secretary to executive director, International Rescue Committee 1953 1966 Accounts manager, Harold L. Oram Associates, with a two-year absence from 1955-1957 1955 1957 Translator, Lampada della Fraternità (World Organization of the Lamp of Brotherhood), Rome, Italy 1963 Traveled to Namkham Hospital, Namkham, Burma, for Harold L. Oram, Inc. 2005, Nov. 19 Died, New York, N.Y.

From the guide to the Ralph Ellison Papers, 1890-2005, (bulk 1930-1994), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

Links to collections

Comparison

This is only a preview comparison of Constellations. It will only exist until this window is closed.

  • Added or updated
  • Deleted or outdated

Information

Permalink:
SNAC ID:

Subjects:

  • African American authors

Occupations:

  • Authors

Places:

not available for this record

SNAC Cooperative Logo

Social Networks and Archival Context

SNAC is a discovery service for persons, families, and organizations found within archival collections at cultural heritage institutions.

Sponsors

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
National Endowment for the Humanities

Hosts

University of Virginia Library
National Archives and Records Administration