James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry.
Born: February 1, 1902, Joplin Died: May 22, 1967, New York City Parents: Caroline Mercer Langston, James Nathaniel Hughes Education: Lincoln University (1929), Columbia University (1921 – 1922) Awards: Spingarn Medal,Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, Quill Award for Poetry
The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University holds the Langston Hughes papers (1862–1980) and the Langston Hughes collection (1924–1969) containing letters, manuscripts, personal items, photographs, clippings, artworks, and objects that document the life of Hughes. The Langston Hughes Memorial Library on the campus ofLincoln University, as well as at the James Weldon Johnson Collection within the Yale University also hold archives of Hughes' work