Special Collections and Archives Finding Aids

Scope and Contents The oral history recordings in this collection are a result of a collaboration between UMKC Libraries and KCUR. The project was intended to preserve the history of unrest in Kansas City in 1968 following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The oral histories were conducted at the Kansas City Public Library’s Southeast Branch, and at the Kansas City Public Library’s Plaza Branch. The recordings are of Kansas City community members and documents their memories and thoughts about...

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The collection contains 7 lacquer discs of songs composed by Alice Carolyn Skelton, including "America, We're Proud of You" and "'Tis Springtime" from 1949.

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The collection consists of 10 multitrack studio sessions on 1/2 in. open reel tape from Alpha Music Productions, which was operated in Lenexa, Kansas, in the mid-1980s to early-1990s.

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The audiovisual materials in this collection consists of audio, video, and films from the Red Cross in Kansas City. Many of the recordings come from the national Red Cross headquarters, including recordings of public service announcements, training and safety films, and promotion and recruitment films. Some of the materials were recorded in the Kansas City region and document local disasters, including the Avondale flood of 1982, Ruskin Heights tornado, and the Kansas City Flood of 1951.

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The collection contains recording from Anne Winter's personal collection, which consists of rock and punk recordings from the Kansas City region, as well as more popular recordings.

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The collection consists of home recordings and University Sorority/Fraternity Chorus recordings. 2261 vinyl LP recordings have been cataloged and are searchable in UMKC Libraries' catalog.

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The majority of the audiovisual materials in this collection are recordings of the radio music program, Cyprus Avenue, hosted by Bill Shapiro on KCUR.

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Includes recordings of the radio drama program The Free Company, radio drama program Elizabeth the Queen, and performances by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

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The collection contains hundreds of hours of video and audio of live jazz performances, and interviews with jazz musicians, that were recorded around the world by Bob and Ruth Byler. The majority of the materials were recorded between 1985 and 2011.

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Bob Foster was a Kansas City record collector. Recordings include radio programs, classical music performances, and recordings of church choirs, high school bands and choirs, and college bands and choirs in the Kansas City area.

Scope and Contents This collection consists of recordings of the radio program "Building Kansas City", created and hosted by Deborah O'Bannon. The radio program explored how and why structures were built in the Kansas City area. Guest of the program included policymakers, experts, and community members. The program was titled "Water Water Everywhere" from January 2009 to July 2010. The name of program changed to "Building Kansas City" in August, 2010. The program ended in September, 2011. It was broadcast by...

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The collection consists of audio recordings of musician Carolyn Wood from the 1950s.

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City Sparks was a radio program on KCUR that broadcast concerts of Kansas City musicians and bands. The collection holds the multitrack tapes from the performances and the stereo mixes for broadcast as well. Collection Donor, Tom Mardikes, produced and recorded the shows. The audio items are supplemented with paper files consisting of technical recording documention, release forms, and articles related to the musicians and bands.

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This collection consists of live sound recordings of bands K.C. Grits, Buttpickers, and Jerry Wood playing at Kansas City music venues, including the Cowtown Ballroom in the 1970s. Clay Kirkland, who donated the tapes to UMKC, is one of the performers on the recordings.

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Consists of audio recordings of music compiled by Dick Dexter's brother, Dave Dexter (music journalist and record executive), radio advertisements for Interstate Securities Company (later ISC Financial Corporation), and radio broadcast recordings that include parts of Kansas City Chief's football games.

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The collection consists of recordings from the 1970s of Jackson County and Civil War historian Donald Hale.

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The collection consists of recordings of lectures and presentations by renowned poets that were donated by Donnelly College, a Catholic College located in Kansas City.

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Consists mostly of recordings of religious Jewish music and synagogue, but also includes several recordings of operas, plays, and inverviews from radio broadcasts.

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The collection consists mostly of recordings of radio broadcast programming from Kansas City that specialized in the jazz genre.

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The collection contains many unique items recorded in the Kansas City area, including political speeches, musical performances, religious services, and advertisements for businesses and organizations. The Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kansas City Conservatory of Music are strongly represented with numerous recordings of each entity. Finally, the collection also holds some national radio programs, such as "The Guiding Light," "Hymns of All Churches," and "Michael Shayne."

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Cronenbold was a member of the Texas Rangers, a western band that was active in the 1930s and 1940s and appeared on radio programs such as the Brush Creek Follies. The collection consists of recordings of the Texas Rangers and interviews with Cronenbold.

Scope and Contents The collection contains 300+ oral histories, conducted from 1956 to 1986, that capture the development of jazz as related by a host of musicians and bandleaders who defined the tradition. All aspects of the jazz experience are captured in the interviews, ranging from musical triumphs to hardships on the road during the Great Depression. Reflecting Driggs' interest in the development of Southwestern and Kansas City jazz, the collection is rich in oral histories of the bandleaders and...

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The audiovisual materials in this collection contain radio programs produced and recorded by Gary Shivers, including, “Jazz Scene,” “Gary Shivers Show,” and “Gary Shivers on Jazz.” The collection also holds recordings of interviews, music performances, and home recordings.

Scope and Contents The Gaylord Marr Collection was a gift of Olga Marr in the summer of 2011. The expansive nature of this collection is a reflection of Professor Marr’s long and prestigious career in academia. A series of personal documents feature Marr’s private diaries and many manuscripts of his own writings, as well as material from his college years and other items related to his day to day life and career. Marr’s teaching life is represented here by many documents and course materials related to his...