Title: Alex Haley papers, 1960-1992
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into six subject related series, in addtiton three dimensional objects listed as items.
Abstract
Alex Haley papers consist of manuscripts: some unfinished, others from his time with the Saturday Evening Post, Boy's Life Magazine and Kiwanis Magazine; correspondence, photographs, record albums, and other materials documenting Alex Haley's literary career. Of particular interest are drafts relating to Alex Haley's writings for the Saturday Evening Post, fan mail during the popularity of ROOTS and the subsequent television series, handwritten notes for various projects, a copy of the first edition of the Seafearer (Coart Guard) and photographs in Gambia.
Administrative/Biographical History
Alex Murray Palmer Haley was born on August 11, 1921 in Ithaca, New York. He was later sent to live with his maternal grandmother in Henning, Tennessee.
Haley entered the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939 and was in active service for 20 years. He got his start in writing by composing his shipmates' love letters to their sweethearts back home. Haley also started The Seafearer, which became the official Coast Guard newsletter. Haley later attained the title of Chief Petty Officer which he kept until his retirement and was the first Chief Journalist in the Coast Guard, the rating having been expressly created for him in recognition of his literary ability.
After his time in the service, Haley became a journalist and wrote for the Saturday Evening Post, Readers' Digest and Playboy Magazine. He interviewed notable figures such as Cassius Clay ( Muhammad Ali), Martin Luther King Jr., Miles Davis, and the head of the Nazi American Party George Lincoln Rockwell, in 1962. His interview of Malcolm X was followed by the book The Autobiography of Malcolm X in 1965.
While growing up in Tennessee, Haley’s childhood was filled with stories of his African ancestor, Kunta Kinte, and how he came to the United States. It was from these oral memories that Alex Haley decided research his roots all the way back to West Africa. Haley succeeded and locating the origin of Kunta Kinte, in the village of Juffure in Gambia.
The culmination of years of research and the tale of his family are the basis for the book ROOTS, completed in 1976. It is the tale Haley’s ancestors coming from Africa to North America as slaves and their descendants. ROOTS gained Haley international success, he won a Pulitzer Prize and the book was printed in countless languages and sold around the world. In 1977 ROOTS the mini-series was the third highest rated television program of all time; and generated an increasing interest in genealogy research and family reunions throughout the United States.
