Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The papers of Ralph Ellison were acquired by the Library of Congress from his widow, Fanny McConnell Ellison and her trustees, through a deposit, gift, and purchase, 1995-2009. Additional items were given by Muriel Morisey, Ellison's cousin, in 2010. Material found within books from Ellison's personal library were transferred from the Rare Book and Special Collections Division in 2012.
Processing History
Part I of the papers of Ralph Ellison was arranged and described in 1997 by Donna Ellis with the assistance of Patricia Craig, Julie Hunsaker, Sherralyn McCoy, John Monagle, Angela Moore, and Andrew Passett. The finding aid was revised in 2006. Additional material received between 2006 and 2009 was processed as Part II in 2010 by Donna Ellis with the assistance of Tammi Taylor and Sherralyn McCoy. Two additions to Part II were processed and the finding aid revised in 2009 by Donna Ellis and in 2024 by Joseph K. Brooks.
Additional Guides
A description of Part I of the Ralph Ellison Papers appears in Library of Congress Acquisitions: Manuscript Division, 1994-1995, 56-60.
Transfers
Items have been transferred from the Manuscript Division to other custodial divisions of the Library. Books and some artifacts have been transferred to the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, where they are described in a finding aid at https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.rbc/eadrbc.rb016001. Audio and video recordings have been transferred to the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center. Photographs have been transferred to the Prints and Photographs Division. A flute and sheet music have been transferred to the Music Division. All transfers are identified in these divisions as part of the Ralph Ellison Papers. Patrons are encouraged to contact these divisions in advance of a research visit.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Roman numeral designating the Part followed by a colon and container number, Ralph Ellison Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.