Scope and arrangement
The Wilmer Ames Papers are arranged in two series:
Born in 1950 in Nassawadox, Virginia, Wilmer Ames was best known as the founder and editor-in-chief of Emerge, a monthly newsmagazine which addressed social, political, and economic issues from a black perspective. Ames received his BA from Lincoln University and his MA from Columbia University's School of Journalism. He studied medicine at Rutgers University for two years before returning to journalism. Ames also worked as a reporter and freelancer for a number of publications before he founded Emerge, including Time, Sports Illustrated, People, GQ, and New York magazines. Emerge targeted upwardly mobile blacks and covered popular news stories of the day, as well as in-depth portraits of leading figures in the 1990s such as Louis Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson, and Clarence Thomas. The collection contains biographical information on Ames; published articles and research materials for Time and Sports Illustrated; typescripts for a pilot television series; personal and professional correspondence with editors; reviews; and a manuscript for the book Chuck Norris: Being Physically and Mentally Fit (which he co-authored). The bulk of the collection concerns the formation and development of Emerge. Found here are board minutes and memoranda, detailed plans, proposals, financial records, advertising and marketing plans, and articles submitted to and published in the magazine.
The Wilmer Ames Papers are arranged in two series:
Gift of Wilmer Ames, December 1992.
Accessioned by Steven G. Fullwood and Artis Q. Wright on March 30, 2008.