0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁M emph is , ▁Tennessee , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁child ▁of ▁college - ed uc ated ▁parents . ▁His ▁father ' s ▁family ▁were ▁people ▁of ▁color ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁free ▁since ▁before ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution . ▁His ▁mother ' s ▁family , ▁former ▁slaves , ▁had ▁moved ▁to ▁Ober lin , ▁Ohio , ▁after ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁Both ▁his ▁parents ▁graduated ▁from ▁Ober lin ▁College . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁El mer ▁S . ▁Im es ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁in ▁M emph is , ▁Tennessee ▁to ▁Elizabeth ▁( née ▁Wal lace ) ▁and ▁Benjamin ▁A . ▁Im es , ▁both ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁college ▁educated ▁and ▁had ▁met ▁at ▁Ober lin ▁College ▁in ▁Ohio . ▁They ▁married ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 . ▁His ▁father ▁earned ▁a ▁div inity ▁degree ▁at ▁Ober lin ▁The ological ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 . ▁Benjamin ▁was ▁desc ended ▁from ▁free ▁people ▁of ▁color , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁established ▁in ▁south - central ▁Pennsylvania ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Revolution . ▁His ▁mother ▁Elizabeth ▁was ▁born ▁into ▁sla very ; ▁her ▁family ▁had ▁moved ▁to ▁Ober lin ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁child , ▁after ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁em an cip ation . ▁Im es ▁had ▁two ▁younger ▁brothers : ▁Albert ▁Love jo y ▁Im es ▁and ▁William ▁Lloyd ▁Im es . ▁The ▁latter ▁became ▁a ▁minister ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁past