Special Collections and Archives Finding Aids

Scope and Contents The Arthur B. Church – KMBC Radio Collection was donated to the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1996 by Arthur B. Church, Jr. The collection relates to KMBC radio and television stations in Kansas City and its owner and operator, Arthur B. Church, dating primarily between the 1920s and the early 1950s.The collection is broken down into seven series. A timeline provides day-to-day and year-to-year information about the operation of the station. Business correspondence, ledgers...

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The Catalog Collection is an artificial collection comprised of various catalogs grouped by topic and spans from 1881-2006. The majority of items in this collection deal with film, books, and music. Other types of catalogs include but are not limited to toys, clothing, home furniture, electronics, collectibles, and theatre.

Scope and Contents The David Morantz Collection contains items relating to Judaic Studies. It has been organized into six series contained in three boxes. Inclusive dates range from 1907 to 1959, with bulk dates being 1934 to 1943. Included are some correspondence, primarily relating to Morantz’s syndicated column, Talmudic Tales. There is much focus on religious studies and Morantz’s involvement with Sunday school education in local synagogues. Of particular interest are the local church newsletters which...

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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 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."

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...

Scope and Contents The Gehrig Coleman Collection, housed in the Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections, was donated in October of 2012 to the University of Missouri-Kansas City by Gehrig Coleman. It contains an assortment of top record surveys distributed by local radio station WHB. There is also a survey by St. Louis-based radio station KXOK. The surveys range in date from 1965-1967. The “40 Star Survey” was issued weekly. The lyrics to the number one record for the week were written on the...

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Recordings of Kansas City Real Estate Developer J.C. Nichols. They include "Dramatic Story of the Country Club District," "Fireside Show," Man of the Month dedication, a speech by J.C. Nichols, and others.

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The Jerry Heaster Collection was a gift of Hope Heaster in March 2013. The collection contains business columns written by Heaster for the Kansas City Starfrom 1979 to 2005.

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Consists of audio recordings of John Gage, Mayor of Kansas City, including speeches, Gage recalling his past, and radio broadcasts of events and panel discussions with Gage and his administration.

Scope and Contents The Joseph K. Redmond, Jr. Collection was donated to the University of Missouri-Kansas City by Redmond's wife, Virginia Redmond, in 1996. Redmond was a theatre manager for the Uptown and Tower theatres in Kansas City, Missouri; he collected material about theatres, both movie and stage, primarily in Kansas City. The collection, housed in the Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections, dates from 1875 to 1996, with the majority of the material being concentrated between 1930 and...

Scope and Contents The collection consists of KCUR radio broadcast on analog and digital tapes, dating from 1953 to 2005, as well as CD-Rs and digital files, dating from 2002 to 2017. The materials document the social, cultural, and political history of Kansas City and the Midwest, providing researchers with context and insights into midwesterners’ viewpoints on national issues. The broadcasts contain interviews, recorded events, and news coverage on issues of race, abortion, education standards, crime,...

Scope and Contents The Lucile H. Bluford Collection was transferred from a local regional historical society in 2010. Although only two linear feet in volume, it is rich in potential for anyone researching not only Lucile Bluford herself, but subjects such as Kansas City social issues, as well as Civil Rights. Bluford’s numerous community activities are documented in several studies and reports. Utilizing her status as owner and editor of the Kansas City Call, she reached out to fight social injustice for the...

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The collection consists mostly of radio advertisments, many of which are for the Crown Center, located in Kansas City, MO. There are also recordings of the radio show "Shameless Chef Radio."

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The collection contains lacquer disc recordings of Jenkins family recordings, events in Kansas City, radio broadcast recordings, advertisements for radio broadcast, and copies of classical and popular music.

Scope and Contents The Richard and Mary Jane Miller (KWKI Radio) Collection was transferred in May 2015 to the UMKC Miller Nichols Library from Frank Absher, executive director of the St. Louis Media History Foundation. The bulk of the collection consists of company memos related to KWKI 93.3 FM Kansas City during its stint as a soul music radio station from 1971-73. Most of the memos originate from Richard J. Miller, president of the St. Louis-based parent company Communications Fund Inc. (CFI), which at the...

Scope and Contents The Ted Malone Collection was gifted to UMKC Libraries in November 2010, with addendum material gifted in April 2012. It contains materials related to his extensive career as a radio and television personality.Housed in LaBudde Special Collections, the manuscript materials contain over 4,000 program scripts for various radio venues he hosted. Also included are personal and business correspondence, promotional material, periodicals, travel literature, and a daunting selection of...

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Consists of broadcast recordings from University of Kansas City Radio, including programs about American Royal Horse Show, Kansas City history, UKC Radio Choir Choral Program, and community theatres.

Scope and Contents The manuscripts collection dates from 1950 to 2012. Having been in the broadcasting business for seven decades, Walt Bodine produced a wealth of resources for those researchers interested in the study of communications or in the history of Kansas City, Missouri. Within the collection there are radio scripts, correspondence, research tools, numerous awards, book manuscripts, ephemera, memorabilia, news clippings and photographs. The radio scripts range in date from 1957-2010, representing...