 Prior to his death, he donated memorabilia from his collection to Florida A&M University, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.In 2004, he tripped and fell in his apartment in the Manhattanville Houses, pinned to the floor by a stack of books.He died April 13, 2005 from cardiovascular difficulties, at age 85.