Biographical Sketch of Langston Hughes
Known as the "Poet Laureate of Harlem," James Langston Hughes was born in Joplin,
Missouri, on February 1, 1902. When his parents divorced, he lived with his
grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas, but moved to Cleveland with his mother in 1916
after she remarried. A graduate of Central High in Cleveland, he attended Columbia
University for one year and then moved to Harlem. Jobs at sea led to experiences in
Africa and Europe and he spent some time as a cook in Paris. Back in America, he
became acquainted with poet Vachel Lindsay, who helped publicize his work. His first
volume of poetry was published in 1926 and was followed by fiction, plays, nonfiction,
and two autobiographies. His most famous work may be his "Semple" stories of the
1940s. He died on May 22, 1967, in New York City.
For collection purposes, the Ohioana Library defines an Ohioan as a person who was
born here or who lived in the state for at least five years. Under these guidelines, we did
not claim Langston Hughes because we could not prove he lived here long enough. Recently, we unearthed the necessary
information in a 1940 letter from the distinguished writer. The letter is addressed to Mrs. Oliver Kuhn, who spent many
Sundays searching the backroads of Ohio for the homes and haunts of notable Ohioans, past and present. She photographed
the buildings and then shared a set with the person of note; the other set she kept in her scrapbooks, which also included
correspondece, newsclippings, and other interesting material. These scrapbooks were given to the Ohioana Library after Mrs.
Kuhn's death in the 1960s.
I too, Sing America
Poet Hero
Chicago Defender
Go Back To The Main Page