Melvin Patrick Ely (pronounced ; born 1952 in Richmond, Virginia) is a history professor and author in Virginia. He has written books about Amos 'n' Andy and Israel Hill.
Life He grew up in Richmond and graduated from Princeton University, and from the University of Texas at Austin with a master's degree in linguistics, and from Princeton University with a master's degree in history in 1982 and with a doctoral degree in 1985. He taught at Yale University, and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is currently the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Humanities at the College of William and Mary.
Awards 2005 Bancroft Prize 1998–1999 Fulbright Professor of American Studies
Works
Amos 'n' Andy: lineage, life, and legacy, Princeton University, 1985 A Terrible Intimacy: Interracial life in the slaveholding South. Henry Holt. 2026.
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