Ralph Ellison Bio

• College Education- 1933: enrolled in Tuskegee as a music major (played the trumpet) in hopes of performing and composing classical music
• Financial Troubles- He left for New York before graduating and never went back because the Great Depression hindered his ability to come up with the money to do so
• Family Life- Ellison was the grandson of slaves
• Harlem Renaissance- Ellison was mentored by Harlem Renaissance greats like Langston Hughes and Richard Wright
• Teaching- After the success of Invisible Man he taught at a variety of schools including Bard College, University of Chicago, Rutgers, Yale, and NYU
• Death- Ellison died before finishing his 2,000 page final novel, entitled Juneteenth. It was later published posthumously.