Rolland Haynes was born in the midst of the Great Depression in the Missouri Ozarks. In fact the Great Depression did not aff ect him as he tells it. Where he lived was always in an economic depression. His family were fi ercely independent hill people who used the niggardly resources from the Ozark hills to survive. They were no strangers to moon shinning, bootlegging, and making their own rules to survive.
Haynes received a B. S. in Educati on from Southwest Missouri State College, at Springfi eld, Missouri, a Masters of Arts from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Missouri. He att ended Arkansas State for graduate credit, and Memphis state for post graduate work. He studied at Inter-American University at Salti llo Coahuila, Mexico.
Most of his employment has been in public educati on. He taught social studies at the secondary level, and at the college level. He has also worked in educati onal administrati on and curriculum. He raised a family that was ethnically and racially diverse. He was an acti ve advocate in the civil right movement for several years. Currently he resides in McAllen, Texas.