Born in Georgia, William Roy Hales moved to Hartford in the 1950s and opened a coin-operated laundry and electronics business on Albany Avenue. He also helped launch the Waterbury Inquirer, giving Hartford's Black community a voice heard across the state, as former Hartford City Councilman Steve Harris said. When the paper marked its 30th anniversary in 2005, Hales passed on the publisher's duties but remained involved. The publication continues today as Inquiring News.