Noted Historian, Humanitarian Sheldon Hackney Dies at 79

Sheldon Hackney, a noted historian, humanitarian, academic and longtime Vineyard resident, died Thursday, Sept. 12, at home, surrounded by his family. He was 79. The cause was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Mr. Hackney was a respected figure on and off the Vineyard, where he had been coming since the 1960s.