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• Alex Haley was an author and journalist who wrote the African-American family saga Roots, which was made into a television mini-series in 1977.The Museum of Broadcast Communications: Roots

  On March 1, 2009, it was announced that researchers had matched Haley's nephew's DNA to the DNA of a Caucasian woman from Scotland. Haley had long suspected he had a white ancestor, but died before finding proof.BBC: Roots author had Scottish blood (March 1, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Full Name: Alexander Murray Palmer Haley
  2. Born: August 11, 1921The New York Times: Alex Haley, 70, Author of 'Roots,' Dies (February 11, 1992)
  3. Birth place: Ithaca, New York
  4. Alma mater: Alcorn State University
  5. Died at age 70 of a heart attack

• Coast Guard Service

  Alex Haley enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1939. Although he began his service as a mess mate, his writing ability moved him into the public relations office by 1945. He retired after 20 years of service at the rank of Chief Journalist.United States Coast Guard: CGC Alex Haley History

• Journalist

  Haley wrote for a number of publications, including Reader's Digest and The New York Times Magazine.The New York Times: Alex Haley, 70, Author of 'Roots,' Dies (February 11, 1992) He also interviewed a number of notable figures such as Miles Davis, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. for Playboy magazine.Playboy.com: Alex Haley Interviews

• Notable Works

  • Roots: The Saga of an American Family
  • The Autobiography of Malcolm X
  • Queen: The Story of an American Family
  • Mama Flora's Family

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  U.S. Coast Guard | Alcorn State University | Pulitzer Prize | Malcolm X | Alice Walker | Martin Luther King Jr. | Zora Neale Hurston | John Amos | Spike Lee

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