]> williams_ja John A. Williams Papers An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University - &su_name;&su_address; circa 1970 [Derived from Summit] 12 Mar 2007 English 18 Feb 2008 - converted to EAD (MRC)12 Oct 2015 - audiorecording described, ID'ed (MRC) Overview of the Collection &su_name; &su_address; Williams, John Alfred, 1925- John A. Williams Papers 1960-1968 3.0 linear ft. Papers of the African-American author, novelist, poet, and short story writer. Collection includes correspondence (1960-1968), typescript novels, poems, and short stories; and memorabilia, including clippings, photographs, and an audiorecording. 148791 English Biographical History

John Alfred Williams, African-American author, journalist and academic, was born December 5, 1925, in Jackson, Mississippi. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserves as a pharmacist's mate in the Pacific from 1943-1946, and earned degrees in English and journalism from Syracuse University. In 1960 he published his first novel, The Angry Ones; this and subsequent novels including the best-selling The Man Who Cried I Am, explore the experiences of being a black man in America.

Over his career Williams worked as a journalist for CBS, Ebony, Jet, and Newsweek, among others. He taught at many colleges and universities, including the College of the Virgin Islands, City University of New York, Sarah Lawrence College, University of California at Santa Barbara, La Guardia Community College, the University of Hawaii, Boston University, and Rutgers University, where in 1990 he was named the Paul Robeson Professor of English. He is a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters.

In 1970 Williams received the Syracuse University Centennial Medal for Outstanding Achievement, and in 1998 his Safari West won the American Book Award. He retired from Rutgers in 1994.

 Scope and Contents of the Collection

The John A. Williams Papers consist of correspondence, clippings, memorabilia, writings, and published material.

 Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is arranged chronologically. Writings are arranged alphabetically by title.

 Separated Material

Books by Williams have been transferred to Rare Books for separate cataloging. Please refer to &summitref; for a complete listing.

 Subject and Genre Headings African AmericansLiterature -- American Fiction Literature -- American PoetryWilliams, John Alfred, 1925- African American novelists. African American poets. African Americans -- Biography. American literature -- 20th century. American literature -- African American authors. American poetry -- 20th century. Authors, American. Clippings (information artifacts) Correspondence. Drafts (documents) Photographs. Poems. Authors. Novelists. Poets. Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

John A. Williams Papers,&su_name;

Acquisition Information

Gift of John A. Williams.

 Inventory Correspondence [General] 1960-19659 folders1 [General] 1967-19686 folders1 [General] undated1 Rejections 1 Clippings Miscellaneous 3 folders1 Memorabilia Photographs 1 Academy of National Institute Awards audiorecording williams_ja_001circa 1962 1 reel, 7 1/2 ips, running time 22:051 Writings After me, you 2 Aggie jive 2 [American Negro in Africa] 2 Angry Ones (original title: One for New York) Draft2 folders22d draft4 folders25th draft2 Another possibility 2 Audio poetry 2 [Big Ralph] 2 Bird 3 Cool one 2 folders3 Day of the dead cat 3 Eager warriors 3 Flutter of a hawk 3 Kelley 3 Last flight of dreams 5 folders3 Man who cried I am 3 folders3 Man who cried I am 4 [Martin Luther King] 2 folders4 Month in the country: a diary 4 Moody's squad 4 Most native of sons: a biography of Richard Wright 4 NAACP convention four reports for WOV19594 Negroes in Pennsylvania 1-page list4 Party 4 [poetry] 4 Portrait of a city: Syracuse, the old home town 4 Prisoner 4 Prix de Rome 19624 Protectors 3 folders4 Sissie 3 folders5 Spring song 5 Syracuse: a city in transition 5 This is my country too Edited typescript2 folders5Setting copy5Mail5 Two by John: angry office 5 Two by John: Only an afternoon 6 Why don't you go back where you came from? 6 With regrets 6 Published material By Williams articles6 By others 6