Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer. He is best known as the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family and The Autobiography of Malcolm X (written in collaboration with Malcolm X).
Haley was born in Ithaca, New York as the oldest of three sons and a daughter to Simon Alexander Haley and Bertha Palmer. Haley lived with his family in Henning, Tennessee before he returned to Ithaca with hi...
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Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer. He is best known as the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family and The Autobiography of Malcolm X (written in collaboration with Malcolm X).
Haley was born in Ithaca, New York as the oldest of three sons and a daughter to Simon Alexander Haley and Bertha Palmer. Haley lived with his family in Henning, Tennessee before he returned to Ithaca with his family when he was five years old. Haley's father was a professor of agriculture at Cornell University and a decorated World War I veteran. The younger Haley always spoke proudly of his father and the incredible obstacles of racism he had overcome. Alex Haley was enrolled at Alcorn State University at age 15. Two years later he returned to his parents to inform them of his withdrawal from college. Simon Haley felt that Alex needed discipline and growth and convinced his son to enlist in the military when he turned 18. On May 24, 1939, Alex...
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