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The Institute of Jazz Studies is the largest and most comprehensive library and archive of jazz and jazz-related materials in the world, located at the Newark campus of Rutgers University.

History

The Institute of Jazz Studies was founded by Marshall Stearns. His original idea dates back to at least 1949. The IJS was incorporated in 1952. Its original location was at his apartment at 108 Waverly Place in New York City, USA. Stearns negotiated transfer of IJS to Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1966. Several months after this, Stearns died suddenly. In 1967 the Institute materials were moved to the Newark campus of Rutgers University in New Jersey. It was first located in Dana Library (1972), then moved to Bradley Hall (1975). The current expanded facilities in Dana Library opened in 1994. In 1986 IJS acquired a legendary collection of periodicals as well as books, records, and various other items from Harold Flakser. Other major collections include the archives of Mary Lou Williams and James P. Johnson.

Mission

As stated by Marshall Stearns in 1953, "The general aim of the Institute of Jazz Studies is to foster an understanding and appreciation of the nature and significance of jazz in our society. More specifically, the Institute proposes to work toward this goal by pooling the knowledge and skills of authors and musicians, who have pioneered in the field of jazz, with those of social scientists and other experts whose techniques and studies may be brought to bear on the subject. In this manner, jazz and related subjects will be given the range and depth of scholarly study which they so richly deserve, and a vital but neglected area in American civilization will be illuminated."

Publications

• The Record Changer (a special column in this publication was the temporary voice of the IJS)

• Journal of Jazz Studies

• Annual Review of Jazz Studies

• Studies in Jazz (monograph series with Scarecrow Press)

Original Board of Advisors

• Louis Armstrong

• Philip W. Barber

• Benjamin A. Botkin

• Dave Brubeck

• Dan Burley

• Al Collins

• Harold Courlander

• Stuart Davis

• Roger Pryor Dodge

• Duke Ellington

• Ralph Ellison

• Nesuhi Ertegün

• Leonard Feather

• Norman Granz

• Bill Grauer

• Maurice R. Green, M.D.

• W. C. Handy

• Melville J. Herskovits

• George Herzog

• Langston Hughes

• Willis James

• Stan Kenton

• Lester Koenig

• M. Kolinski

• Jacob Lawrence

• Paul A. McGhee

• Alan Morrison

• Edward Abbe Niles

• Pearl Primus

• David Riesman

• Curt Sachs

• Edward Seeger

• Artie Shaw

• Edmond Souchon, M.D.

• Lorenzo Dow Turner

• Clarence Williams

• Bernard Wolfe

• John Wesley Work III

Officers and Staff

• Marshall Stearns, Founder, President and Executive Director, and member of board of directors (1949-1966)

• John Hammond, Vice-President and member of board of directors (1952-?)

• Rudi Blesh, Secretary and member of board of directors (1952-?)

• Eugene M. Kline, Treasurer (1952-?)

• Sterling Allen Brown, member of board of directors (1952-?)

• Henry Cowell, member of board of directors (1952-?)

• Thomas Shaw Hale, member of board of directors (1952-?)

• S. I. Hayakawa, member of board of directors (1952-?)

• Tremaine McDowell, member of board of directors (1952-?)

• Richard A. Waterman, member of board of directors (1952-?)

• George Avakian, Planning Committee member (1952-?)

• Wilder Hobson, Planning Committee member (1952-?)

• Frederick Ramsey, Jr., Planning Committee member (1952-)

• Ross Russell, Planning Committee member (1952-)

• Charles Edward Smith, Planning Committee member (1952-)

• Robert Reisner, Curator (1952-?)

• Sheldon Harris, Curator

• Charles Nanry, Administrator (1966-1972)

• Vladimir Simosko, Curator (1968-1971)

• Chris White, Executive Director (1972-1976)

• Richard Seidel, Curator (197?)

• Thomas Spence, Discographer

• J.R. Taylor, Assistant Curator (-1976?)

• Allen Grundy, work study (197?)

• Ron Welburn, Coordinator of Jazz Oral History Project

• Bob Kenselaar, Assistant Curator (1978-1981)

• Walter Parker, cataloger (197?)

• Vincent Pelote, work study (1975-1978), Cataloger (1978-1987), Librarian (1987-present)

• Edward Berger, Curator (1976-1977), Assistant Director (1977-1987), Associate Director (1987-present)

• Dan Morgenstern, Director (1976-present)

• Marie Griffin, Librarian (1978-?)

• Esther Vasquez Smith, Secretary (1986-present)

• Don Luck, Librarian (1987-?)

• John Clement, Collection Specialist (1987-present)

• Tad Hershorn, Archivist (1999-present)

• Annie Kuebler, Archivist (2000-present)

• Robert Nahory, Digital Library Applications Developer (2000-present)

Bibliography

• The Record Changer, July-August 1953 (special issue).

• Kerlew, Clyde, "The Institute of Jazz Studies: From Academic Orphan to National Resource," Public and Access Services Quarterly, vol. 1, no. 1, 1995, pp.51-74.

• Wilson, John S., "Collection of Jazz Recordings and Writings Given to Rutgers," The New York Times, September 3, 1966, p.12.

External links

• Institute of Jazz Studies
• Rutgers University