One. On July 2, 1918, Duke married a high school sweetheart, Edna Thompson; their only child, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, was born on March 11, 1919. Mercer played the trumpet and also served as band manager for the Duke Ellington Orchestra. After his father's death, Mercer carried on his father's legacy and conducted the Duke Ellington Orchestra until his own death in 1996.

Who were Duke's parents?

His father J.E. (James Edward) and his mother Daisy Kennedy Ellington raised "Edward" in a middle-class home in the Northwest section of Washington, D.C. Duke was especially devoted to his mother and in 1969, thirty-four years after her death, Ellington accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom with these words, "There is nowhere else I would rather be tonight but in my mother's arms."

Did Duke have brothers and sisters?

One sister, Ruth Ellington Boatwright, who was sixteen years younger. Mrs. Boatwright currently resides in New York City.

Where did the materials in the Ellington Collection come from?

The acquisition of the Ellington Collection began with a chance encounter between Mercer Ellington and John Kinard, former Director of the Smithsonian's Anacostia Museum, in October, 1985. Mr. Ellington was filming a public service announcement at the Anacostia Museum. During the event Mr. Ellington mentioned to Mr. Kinard that although his father's tapes had been given to a radio station in Copenhagen, Denmark, Duke's papers were still in Mercer's posession. Mr. Kinard contacted Roger Kennedy, then Director of the National Museum of American History, who asked John Hasse, Curator of American Music, to pursue the lead.

In April, 1986, John Fleckner, Chief Archivist of the Museum and Dr. Hasse surveyed the material in New York City. After extensive negotiations the Duke Ellington Collection arrived at the National Museum of American History in April, 1988.

What instrument did Ellington play?

To paraphrase a frequently cited axiom about Duke Ellington; "he played the piano but his real instrument was the Orchestra." According to Duke, I try to "absorb the styles of all the individuals in the band...I don't write for anyone else but the band."

How does one access the Ellington Collection?

Of course, you can make an appointment to visit us at the Archives Center, Room C-340, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0601. We are located between 12th and 14th Streets on Constitution Avenue and have a Mall entrance on Madison Drive. The office is on the third floor in the east wing of the building, and we are open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with hours from 12 noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. You can contact us by phone at 202- 633-3270, fax 202-786-2453, or e-mail acnmah@sivm.si.edu. In addition, there are two ways to learn more about Archives Center collections via remote access. You may survey the Archives Center finding aids through our webpage on the Internet. You may reach it from the Smithsonian Institution home page through your world wide web server (URL --http://www.si.edu). The web site for the Archives Center is http://www.si.edu/organiza/museums/nmah/archives and the one for the Ellington Collection is http://www.si.edu/organiza/museums/nmah/archives/d5301a.htm. You can gain access to most of our Archives Center collection descriptions through the Smithsonian Institution Resource Information System (SIRIS). You can reach SIRIS under resources from the Smithsonian Institution home page or directly from the URL at http://www.siris.si.edu. Additionally, you can contact SIRIS by e-mail through Telnet at SIRIS. SI. EDU. Or you can dial it up through a modem at 202-357-4304. The last option can be expensive.

Where was Ellington born, and where did he live?

Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington, DC. He lived at several addresses with his family as a young man, and then moved to New York City in 1923. He moved his parents and his sister to New York in the early 1930's and resided there until he died on May 24, 1974.