In 1988, Robert N. Felder initiated the efforts to establish a jazz archives at the University after Felix E. Grant, the internationally renowned jazz authority and radio personality, offered to donate his collection of sound recordings, books and periodicals to the University. This collection includes the interviews of jazz artists and personalities taped by Mr. Grant during his years as a radio broadcaster. Mrs. June D. Grant continued to donate materials to the collection which include a personal collection of Felix Grant memorabilia, as well as correspondence, promotional materials, radio program logs, liner notes, lectures, reviews, concert programs, magazine and newspaper articles, awards, commendations, posters, and a unique collection of photographs.
In 1997, WDCU-FM’s collection was added to the Archives, which includes commercially issued sound recordings, recordings from National Public Radio programs, as well as interviews and shows by WDCU hosts and programmers. Other materials in the collection include books, periodicals, posters, promotional material, business correspondence, concert programs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, awards, commendations and photographs.
Other important collections have been added over the years, including veteran radio broadcaster Paul Anthony’s collection of over 5,000 LP recordings as well as his radio interviews of jazz artists and personalities; the Ernest Dyson collection of books, recordings and archival materials; the Herb & Will Friedwald collection of over 10,000 LP recordings; the W. Royal Stokes collection of books, recordings and professional papers; the John E. Hasse collection of 3,500 LP recordings; the Ronnie Wells and Ron Elliston collection that includes materials from the East Coast Jazz Festival and the Elliston Music Studio for Jazz Studies; and the collection of over 11,000 recordings of local researcher and noted discographer George Hall. The Archives also houses materials that support the curriculum and document the history of the Jazz Studies Program and JAZZAlive at the University of the District of Columbia. In addition to the vast holdings of sound recordings, books and other published materials, several of the collections also include unique resources that highlight jazz artists and document jazz activities, sites and events in the Washington, D.C. area.
The Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives is housed within the University’s Learning Resources Division (LRD). The ongoing cataloging of the materials will add to the research database accessible through the shared online catalog and integrated library system maintained by the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC). The Felix E. Grant Digital Collection—which includes Felix Grant’s radio interviews of jazz artists and personalities (in streaming audio format) as well as a selection of photographs and associated resources from the collection—forms part of the WRLC Libraries Digital and Special Collections.
The Archives are maintained by the Jazz Studies Program, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Learning Resources Division.
The recordings, books, and archival collections of the Felix E. Grant Archives are non-circulating. They may be consulted on-site by appointment according to the Guidelines for Access to the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives. The Archives provides reference services to researchers via video chat, email, standard mail and telephone.
Research requests and questions about collections and policies should be addressed to:
Prof. Judith A. Korey, Curator
Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives
University of the District of Columbia
4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202-274-5265 - Fax: 202-274-6012
E-mail: jazzarchives@wrlc.org
Reuben Jackson, Archivist
Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives
University of the District of Columbia
4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202-274-5265 - Fax: 202-274-6012
E-mail: reuben.jackson@udc.edu
