Melvin Patrick Ely (pronounced ; born 1952 in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

) is an history professor and author in Virginia. He has written books about ''

Amos 'n' Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio show ...

'' and

Israel Hill Israel Hill developed as a community of free black people in Prince Edward County, Virginia along the Appomattox River around 1810. It was established by Judith Randolph after the death of her husband Richard Randolph who inherited land and slaves f ...

Life

He grew up in Richmond and graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

, and from the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

with a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

, and from

with a master's degree in history in 1982 and with a doctoral degree in 1985. He taught at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

, and at the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

. He is currently the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Humanities at the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III a ...

Awards

* 2005

Bancroft Prize The Bancroft Prize is awarded each year by the trustees of Columbia University for books about diplomacy or the history of the Americas. It was established in 1948, with a bequest from Frederic Bancroft, in his memory and that of his brother, ...

* 1998–1999

Fulbright Professor The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

of American Studies

Works

* * * * ''Amos 'n' Andy: lineage, life, and legacy'', Princeton University, 1985

References

External links

*
"Interview with Bancroft Winner Melvin Patrick Ely", ''History News Network'', 5-23-05"Melvin Patrick Ely, 'Israel on the Appomattox'", ''Tavis Smiley Show'', November 24, 2004
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ely, Melvin Patrick Writers from Richmond, Virginia 21st-century American historians American male non-fiction writers Living people Princeton University alumni University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni Yale University faculty Academic staff of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem College of William & Mary faculty 1952 births Bancroft Prize winners Historians from Virginia 21st-century American male writers