Ralph Ellison

By caseywillson

  • Birth

    Ralph Ellison was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to his parents Alfred Ellison and Ida Millsap

  • Brother's Birth

    His brother's name is Herbert Millsap Ellison

  • Father's Death

  • Period: to

    Tuskeegee Institure

    Ellison attended the Tuskeegee Institue on a scholarship and studied music

  • New York City

    Ellison moved to New York City in order to study sculpture and photography

  • Fanny McConnel

    Ellison married Fanny McConne who supported him both financial and emotionally

  • Invisible Man

    Ellison's most famous novel, "Invisible Man", is published

  • National Book Award for Fiction

    Ellison won the National Book Award for Fiction for "Invisible Man"

  • Abroad

    Ellison went abroad to lecture and ended up staying in Rome, Italy which is where he met Robert Penn Warren who would become a good friend of his

  • Bard College

    Ellison began teaching American and Russian Lit. at Bard College while also beginning his novel, "Juneteenth"

  • Shadow Act

    Ellison published "Shadow Act" and started to teach at both Rutgers and Yale

  • "Invisible Man"

    "Invisble Man" is declared the most influential novel since World War Two by 200 voters

  • Presidential Medal of Freedom

    Ellsion received the Presidentail Medal of Freedom for his work with the Civil Rights Movement

  • Odre des Arts et Lettres

    Ellison became a chavallier of the Odre des Arts et Lettres by France

  • American Academy of Arts and Letters

    Ellison was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and his hometown named a library after him

  • Langston Hughes Medal

    Ellison received the Alngston Hughes Medal from New York College

  • National Medal of Arts

    Ellison received the National Medal of Arts

  • "Going to the Territory"

    Ellison published a group of essays called "Going to the Territory"

  • Death

    Ellison died due to pancreatic Cancer, his wife, Fanny, lived until the age of 93