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This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
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Collection Overview
| Size | 23.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 7000 items) |
| Abstract | James Kern Kyser (Kay Kyser) was born in 1905 in Rocky Mount, N.C. He attended the University of North Carolina, 1923-1927, where he was the leader of the cheerleading squad. He is best known as a big band leader and as the "Ol' Professor" on the radio show Kollege of Musical Knowledge . In 1944, Kyser married model, actress, and singer Georgia Carroll of Blooming Grove, Tex., who had joined the show the year before. In 1951, he and his family retired to Chapel Hill, N.C. Through the Kyser Foundation, he gave scholarships to students of music and dramatic art at the University of North Carolina. He was also instrumental in improving health care in North Carolina, starting the state's public television station, and establishing a highway safety program. He was active in the Christian Science Church, directing the church's radio and television broadcasting division at the Boston headquarters in the 1970s, lecturing, and serving as national honorary president in 1983. The collection contains scripts, correspondence, printed materials, photographs, memorabilia, realia, audiovisual materials, and other items relating to Kay Kyser, Georgia Carroll Kyser, and the Kollege of Musical Knowledge and its cast and orchestra members. Scripts are from the Kollege of Musical Knowledge and other shows. Correspondence primarily pertains to planning for a 1948 program commemorating the Kollege of Musical Knowledge 's tenth season on NBC and to Kay Kyser's death in 1985. Printed materials, including clippings, magazines, biographical materials, sheet music, movie posters, and scrapbooks, document Kay Kyser's college days, his musical career, and his death. Photographs include pictures of Kay Kyser, Georgia Carroll Kyser, band and orchestra members, and friends and relatives. Many of the photographs were taken during radio broadcasts. Some photographs are from shows performed for troops during World War II, and there is also a photograph album with materials taken from orchestra member Ish Kabibble (Merwyn Bogue)'s diary written while entertaining troops with Kyser in the South Pacific in 1945. Among those appearing in photographs are Harry Babbitt, Mike Douglas, Clark Gable, Ish Kabibble, Diane Pendleton, and Jane Russell. Audio materials include audiodiscs with songs performed by Kyser and his orchestra, 1930s-1940s; two compilation albums released in the 1970s; and an audiotape of a 1944 episode of Kollege of Musical Knowledge. Subject files contain clippings and other materials about people and topics associated with the Kysers. Also included are diplomas, certificates, memorabilia, realia, and other items. |
| Creator | Kyser, Kay.
Kyser, Georgia Carroll. |
| Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
| Language | English |
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Information For Users
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Processing Information
Processed by: Dawne E. Howard, October 2006
Encoded by: Dawne E. Howard, October 2006
Updated: November 2018; Nancy Kaiser, March 2021
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
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Biographical Information
James Kern "Kay" Kyser was born 18 June 1905 in Rocky Mount, N.C., to Paul Kyser and Emily Royster Kyser, both pharmacists. His mother was the first registered female pharmacist in North Carolina. His uncle, Edward Vernon Howell, opened the pharmacy school at the University of North Carolina in 1897 and served as the dean until his death in 1931. His cousin, Vermont Connecticut Royster, was the editor of the Wall Street Journal from 1958 to 1971. Another member of the Royster family, Julianna Royster Busby, established Jugtown Pottery in Moore County, N.C., in 1920.
Following his family's lead, Kyser entered the University of North Carolina in 1923. At school, he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity and was active in the Playmakers Theatre. He was also the school's head cheerleader, establishing the cheering section known as the Carolina Cheerios. Kyser's bandleader career began in 1926, when he took over as the leader of the school orchestra. He graduated with high honors in 1927. In 1937, Kyser wrote "Tar Heels on Hand," which became the school's fight song.
After graduation, Kyser and his band hit the road in pursuit of a musical career. The band had little success for several years, barely able to make ends meet. In 1934, the band received its big break when they became regular performers at the Blackhawk Restaurant in Chicago. In 1937, the band began to get the audience involved by asking questions about music. Originally known as Kay's Klass, the performance went nationwide on NBC in 1938 as the Kollege of Musical Knowledge (often written as the Kollege of Musical Knowledge) when the American Tobacco Company bought the show for Lucky Strike. The Kollege of Musical Knowledge ran on NBC from 1938 to 1950, first on radio and then briefly on television. The show performed weekly to nearly 20 million listeners, with Kay, the "Ol' Professor," questioning contestants who won money and a diploma. The Kollege of Musical Knowledge had many members during its run, including Harry Babbitt, Mike Douglas, George Duning, Ish Kabibble (whose real name was Merwyn Bogue), Georgia Carroll Kyser, Sully Mason, and Ginny Simms. The act was the first to perform for troops during World War II. Kyser and the orchestra also appeared in several movies, including That's Right, You're Wrong and Carolina Blues .
In 1944, Kyser married singer Georgia Carroll, who had joined the Kollege of Musical Knowledge the year before. The couple had three children: Kimberly, Amanda, and Carroll. In 1951, Kyser quietly retired from show business, moving his family to Chapel Hill, N.C. No longer in the Hollywood spotlight, he became active in the Chapel Hill community. Through the Kyser Foundation, he gave scholarships to students of music and dramatic art at the University of North Carolina. He was also instrumental in improving health care in North Carolina, starting the state's public television station, and establishing a highway safety program. He was also active in the Christian Science Church, directing the church's radio and television broadcasting division at the Boston headquarters in the 1970s, being a guest lecturer, and becoming the national honorary president in 1983.
Kyser died in Chapel Hill on 24 July 1985 and is buried in Old Chapel Hill Cemetery.
Georgia Carroll Kyser was born 18 November 1919 in Blooming Grove, Tex. A fashion model, actress, and singer, she is perhaps best known as "Gorgeous" Georgia Carroll as part of Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge . She appeared in three films: Around the World, Carolina Blues, and Thousands Cheer .
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Scope and Content
Papers of big band leader Kay Kyser and model, actress, and singer Georgia Carroll Kyser contain scripts, correspondence, printed materials, photographs, memorabilia, realia, audiovisual materials, and other items. There are scripts are from the Kollege of Musical Knowledge (sometimes referred to as Kay's Klass or Kay Kyser's Musical Klass), as well as other shows, including the Fitch Bandwagon and the Silver Theatre. Some scripts have outlines, answers to quiz questions, multiple revisions, and relevant correspondence included. Major themes in the correspondence series include planning and for the 1948 salute program commemorating the Kollege of Musical Knowledge 's tenth season on NBC and Kay Kyser's death in 1985, as well as letters to Georgia Carroll Kyser from Kay Kyser's biographers Steven Beasley and Raymond Hair.
Printed materials include clippings, magazines, sheet music, scrapbooks, biographical materials, movie posters, books, journals, and catalogs. Clippings from the 1940s include documentation of the orchestra's work entertaining troops during World War II, both on American soil and in the Pacific theater. Later clippings document Kay Kyser's involvement with Christian Science, including his 1983 honorary presidency of the Christian Science Church. There are also many clippings documenting his death in 1985. Magazine titles include Song Hits, Band Leaders, Time, Life, Radio & Television Best, Radio Life, and Radio Mirror. Sheet music consists of songs written or performed by Kay Kyser and his orchestra, including "Tar Heels on Hand," "I Came Here to Talk for Joe," "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," and "Thinking of You." The scrapbooks document Kay Kyser's career through the 1940s, including his college days at the University of North Carolina. Biographical materials include manuscripts, discographies, photocopies of chapters, printouts of websites, and other materials containing biographical information about Kay Kyser and his orchestra. The most lengthy of these materials is an unpublished biography written by Raymond Hair. Movie posters come from the seven movies in which Kay Kyser starred: That's Right, You're Wrong (1939), You'll Find Out (1940), Playmates (1941), My Favorite Spy (1942), Around the World (1943), Swing Fever (1943), and Carolina Blues (1944).
Photographs include pictures of Kay Kyser, Georgia Carroll Kyser, band and orchestra members, and other friends and relatives. Other celebrities depicted in the photographs include Harry Babbitt, Mike Douglas, Clark Gable, Ish Kabibble (whose real name was Merwyn Bogue), Diane Pendleton, and Jane Russell. Many of the photographs were taken during radio broadcasts, including shows performed for troops during World War II. Other pictures are photocopies of photographs contained in the Kay Kyser Collection at the North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which have been numbered and annotated by Georgia Carroll Kyser. There are two photograph albums mostly containing photographs from the 1940s. The first album consists of excerpts taken from Ish Kabibble's original World War II diary written when he joined Kay Kyser to entertain the troops in the South Pacific in 1945. The second album consists of photographs of Kay Kyser taken by Charlie Killebrew in Rocky Mount, N.C.
Other papers include diplomas, certificates, postcards, and memorabilia and realia pertaining to Kay Kyser. Certificates and diplomas include Kay Kyser's high school diploma and recognitions for his performances and philanthropy. Also included is the speech Kay Kyser made announcing Japan's surrender during World War II, as well as photographs showing the Japanese surrender team. Realia includes the ink stamps Kay Kyser's orchestra and the Kollege of Musical Knowledge used to endorse checks and the medal Kay Kyser received for being the "Television Father of the Year" in 1950. Subject files contain clippings and other materials about people and topics associated with Kay Kyser and Georgia Carroll Kyser, including Kay Kyser's brother, Edward Vernon Kyser, and Mack Riggsbee, who is described as having been Kay Kyser's "chef, chauffeur, valet, personal secretary, and chaperone."
Audio materials include audiodiscs containing songs performed by Kay Kyser and his orchestra in the 1930s and 1940s, two compilation albums released in the 1970s, and an audiotape consisting of a 1944 episode of Kollege of Musical Knowledge that took place in Los Alamedos, Calif.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Scripts, 1937-1950, 1996.
Arrangement: alphabetical, then chronological.
Primarily scripts from the Kollege of Musical Knowledge (sometimes referred to as Kay's Klass or Kay Kyser's Musical Klass), as well as other shows, including the Fitch Bandwagon and the Silver Theatre . Some scripts have outlines, answers to quiz questions, multiple revisions, and relevant correspondence included. Many of the scripts have been annotated in pencil, some in Kay Kyser's handwriting. The titles of many of the shows are based on the shows' sponsors. For example, many of the Kollege of Musical Knowledge scripts are referred to as the Lucky Strike Show. Most of the scripts are for radio performances, although the later Kollege of Musical Knowledge scripts are from the show's brief television run.
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Subseries 1.1. Kollege of Musical Knowledge, 1937-1950.
Arrangement: chronological.
| Folder 1 |
25 October 1937 |
| Folder 2 |
1 November 1937 |
| Folder 3 |
24 January 1938 |
| Folder 4 |
31 January 1938 |
| Folder 5 |
1 February 1938 |
| Folder 6 |
15 February 1938 |
| Folder 7 |
22 March 1938 |
| Folder 8 |
6 April 1938 |
| Folder 9 |
27 April 1938 |
| Folder 10 |
8 March 1939 |
| Folder 11 |
4 February 1942 |
| Folder 12 |
9 August 1942 |
| Folder 13 |
6 January 1943 |
| Folder 14 |
13 January 1943 |
| Folder 15 |
20 January 1943 |
| Folder 16 |
27 January 1943 |
| Folder 17 |
3 February 1943 |
| Folder 18 |
10 February 1943 |
| Folder 19 |
17 February 1943 |
| Folder 20 |
24 February 1943 |
| Folder 21 |
3 March 1943 |
| Folder 22 |
10 March 1943 |
| Folder 23 |
17 March 1943 |
| Folder 24 |
24 March 1943 |
| Folder 25 |
25 October 1944 |
| Folder 26 |
6 December 1944 |
| Folder 27 |
27 December 1944 |
| Folder 28 |
2 January 1946 |
| Folder 29 |
1 December 1949 |
| Folder 30 |
30 November 1950 |
| Folder 31 |
14 December 1950 |
Folder 32-33
Folder 32Folder 33 |
undated |
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Subseries 1.2. Other Scripts, 1938-1948, 1996.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Series 2. Correspondence, 1930s-2004 and undated.
Arrangement: chronological.
Primarily letters written to Kay Kyser and Georgia Carroll Kyser. Major themes include planning for the 1948 salute program commemorating the Kollege of Musical Knowledge 's tenth season on NBC and Kay Kyser's death in 1985. Materials from the 1990s and 2000s include letters to Georgia Carroll Kyser from Kay Kyser biographers Raymond Hair and Steven Beasley, and from Vietnamese exchange student An Pham. Some letters are not filed under the year they were originally written, but instead under the date they were sent to the Kysers. For example, in 1985 Ed Hedgpeth sent Kay Kyser correspondence they wrote to one another in the 1940s. These letters are filed with the 1985 correspondence. Similarly, in 1997 Harry Babbitt sent Georgia Carroll Kyser letters Kay Kyser wrote in the 1930s and 1940s. These letters are filed with the 1997 correspondence. There is little fan mail.
| Folder 58 |
1930s |
| Folder 59 |
1940-1941 |
| Folder 60 |
1945 |
| Folder 61 |
1946-1947 |
| Folder 62 |
1948 |
| Folder 63 |
1950-1979 |
| Folder 64 |
1981-1982 |
| Folder 65 |
1983-1984 |
| Folder 66 |
1985 |
| Folder 67 |
1986-1992 |
| Folder 68 |
1993-1994 |
| Folder 69 |
1995 |
| Folder 70 |
1996 |
| Folder 71 |
1997 |
| Folder 72 |
1998 |
| Folder 73 |
1999 |
| Folder 74 |
2000 |
| Folder 75 |
2001 |
| Folder 76 |
2002 |
| Folder 77 |
2003-2004 |
| Folder 78 |
Undated |
| Folder 79 |
Christmas cards, undated |
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Series 3. Printed Materials, 1926-2004 and undated.
Arrangement: by format.
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Subseries 3.1. Clippings, 1926-2002 and undated.
Arrangement: chronological.
Newspaper and magazine clippings about Kay Kyser, Georgia Carroll Kyser, and the Kollege of Musical Knowledge. Early clippings follow Kay Kyser's musical career before the Kollege of Musical Knowledge. Clippings from the late 1930s and 1940s document the Kollege of Musical Knowledge and the height of Kay Kyser's career. These clippings include documentation of the orchestra's work entertaining troops during World War II, both on American soil and in the Pacific theater. Many of the clippings from the 1940s are from clipping services. Although the glued-on tags on some of these clippings are still attached, many have fallen off. The unattached tags are included loose-leaf with the clippings. Some of the later clippings cover the orchestra and its members in retrospect, sometimes making only a brief mention of Kay Kyser or the Kollege of Musical Knowledge . Other later clippings document Kay Kyser's involvement with Christian Science, including his 1983 honorary presidency of the Christian Science Church. There are also a large number of clippings documenting his death in 1985.
| Folder 80 |
1926-1939 |
| Folder 81 |
1930s |
| Folder 82 |
1940-1941 |
| Folder 83 |
1942 |
| Folder 84 |
1943 |
| Folder 85 |
1944 |
| Folder 86 |
January-October 1945 |
| Folder 87 |
November-December 1945 |
| Folder 88 |
January 1946 |
| Folder 89 |
February 1946 |
| Folder 90 |
March-December 1946 |
| Folder 91 |
1947 |
| Folder 92 |
1948 |
| Folder 93 |
1949 |
| Folder 94 |
1940s |
| Folder 95 |
1950-1967 |
| Folder 96 |
1970-1979 |
| Folder 97 |
1981-1983 |
| Folder 98 |
1985 |
| Folder 99 |
1986-2002 |
| Folder 100 |
Undated |
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Subseries 3.2. Magazines, 1932-2002.
Arrangement: chronological.
Magazines containing articles about Kay Kyser, Georgia Carroll Kyser, and the Kollege of Musical Knowledge. Earlier magazines follow the orchestra and its members. These titles include (but are not limited to): Song Hits , Band Leaders, Time, Life, Radio & Television Best , Radio Life, and Radio Mirror. Later magazines cover the orchestra and its members in retrospect, sometimes making only a brief mention of Kay Kyser or the Kollege of Musical Knowledge. These titles include (but are not limited to) the Carolina Alumni Review and Dancing USA .
| Folder 101 |
1932-1936 |
| Folder 102 |
1938-1939 |
| Folder 103 |
1940-1942 |
| Folder 104 |
1943 |
| Folder 105 |
1944-1947 |
| Folder 106 |
1948 |
| Folder 107 |
1949 |
| Folder 108 |
1950 |
| Folder 109 |
Circa 1965-1988 |
| Folder 110 |
1989 |
| Folder 111 |
1990-1992 |
| Folder 112 |
1994-1998 |
| Folder 113 |
1999, 2002 |
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Subseries 3.3. Sheet Music, 1920s-1940s.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
| Folder 114 |
Songs written by Kay KyserContains "Tar Heels on Hand" and "Split it for the Team," written for the University of North Carolina. |
| Folder 115 |
Songs performed by Kay Kyser and orchestra, B-IContains: "Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms," "Candlelight and Wine," "Chatterbox," "Chug-A-Lug (The Drink it Down Song)," "Don't Believe Everything You Dream," "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me),""For the First Time (I've Fallen in Love)," "Happy Birthday to Love," "Humpty Dumpty Heart," "I Came Here to Talk for Joe," "I'd Know You Anywhere," "I'm Fit to be Tied," and "It's All Up to You (To Make North Carolina No. 1 in Good Health)" |
| Folder 116 |
Songs performed by Kay Kyser and orchestra, J-YContains: "(I Got Spurs) Jingle Jangle Jingle," "The Little Red Fox (N'ya N'ya Ya Can't Catch Me)," "Mississippi Dream Boat," "Moonlight Mood," "Poor Little Rhode Island," "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," "Romance Runs in the Family," "There Goes that Song Again," "Thinking of You," "To a Sweet Pretty Thing," "What are You Doing New Year's Eve," "What's the Good Word, Mr. Bluebird," "Who Wouldn't Love You," "With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair," and "You're Giving Me a Song and a Dance" |
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Subseries 3.4. Scrapbooks, circa 1927-1940s.
Arrangement: chronological.
Processing Note: Researchers should be especially careful when viewing the 1946 clipping scrapbook, as many of the clippings have come loose from their pages.
Scrapbooks documenting Kay Kyser's career through the 1940s. The earliest scrapbook consists of memorabilia, including clippings, letters, programs, and photographs, from Kay Kyser's student days at the University of North Carolina in the 1920s. Topics include the Sigma Nu Fraternity, the "Cheerios" pep squad, and various plays in which Kay Kyser performed with the Carolina Playmakers, as well as information about academics. The second scrapbook documents Kay Kyser and his orchestra's 1934 tour, which included stops in cities such as Santa Monica, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; and Pittsburgh, Penn. The third scrapbook, made by Martha Ann Thomas in 1941, documents the lives of Kay Kyser and Kollege of Musical Knowledge member and former girlfriend Ginny Simms. The fourth scrapbook consists of clippings about Kay Kyser from October 1946. Topics include programming information about the Kollege of Musical Knowledge and Kay Kyser and Georgia Carroll Kyser's infant daughter, Kimberly Kyser. The last two scrapbooks were made by fan Nell Rose Rucklos while she was in high school and nurses' training. They contain clippings about Kay Kyser and the Kollege of Musical Knowledge.
| Oversize Volume SV-5289/1 |
University of North Carolina scrapbook, circa 1927 |
| Oversize Volume SV-5289/2 |
Clipping scrapbook of western tour, 1934 |
| Oversize Volume SV-5289/3 |
Clipping scrapbook of Ginny Simms and Kay Kyser, 1941 |
| Oversize Volume SV-5289/4 |
Clipping scrapbook of Kay Kyser, October 1946 |
| Oversize Volume SV-5289/5 |
Clipping scrapbook of Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge, Volume I, 1940s |
| Oversize Volume SV-5289/6 |
Clipping scrapbook of Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge, Volume II, 1940s |
| Oversize Volume SV-5289/7 |
“You’ll Find Out…” scrapbook of Mrs. P.B. Kyser, circa 1940Acquisition Information: Acc. 100944. |
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Subseries 3.5. Biographical Materials, 1990s-2000s.
Arrangement: alphabetical by creator.
Manuscripts, discographies, photocopies of chapters, printouts of websites, and other materials containing biographical information about Kay Kyser and his orchestra. The most lengthy of these materials is an unpublished manuscript written by Raymond Hair. Materials from antiqueradios.com, Steven Beasley, KQED, and metalab (now ibiblio) are website printouts. Materials from Radio Yesteryear, Charles Garrod, and Bill Korst are discographies. Barry Silverstein's Music of World War II and Big Bands Redux appears to be a class coursepack. Materials from Kay Kyser and Georgia Carroll Kyser's daughter Kimberly Kyser include plans to produce a documentary about her father. Tributes and commemoration materials include remarks made by former North Carolina State University Chancellor John Tyler Caldwell at a memorial service shortly after Kay Kyser's death in 1985; a script for a 1994 tribute to Kay Kyser at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, N.C.; and an advertisement for a 1994 production of UNC-TV's North Carolina People to commemorate Kay Kyser's contributions to public television.
| Folder 117 |
antiqueradios.com |
| Folder 118 |
Beasley, Steven |
| Folder 119 |
Garrod, Charles and Bill KorstKay Kyser and His Orchestra |
| Folder 120 |
Carolina PlaymakersThe Carolina Play-book Commemorative Issue I |
Folder 121-128
Folder 121Folder 122Folder 123Folder 124Folder 125Folder 126Folder 127Folder 128 |
Hair, Raymond |
| Folder 129 |
KQED (Northern California) |
| Folder 130 |
Kyser, Kimberly |
| Folder 130a |
Lauder, Val |
| Folder 131 |
metalab |
| Folder 132 |
Radio Yesteryear |
| Folder 133 |
Ruhlmann, William J.Excerpt from Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians |
| Folder 134 |
Silverstein, BarryMusic of World War II and Big Bands Redux |
| Folder 135 |
Simon, George T.Excerpt from The Big Bands |
| Folder 135a |
Whitaker, James Allen, Jr. |
| Folder 136 |
The World of Kay KyserAlbum notes |
| Folder 137 |
Tributes and commemorations |
| Folder 138 |
Other papers |
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Subseries 3.6. Movie Posters, 1939-1944.
Posters from the seven movies in which Kay Kyser starred: That's Right, You're Wrong (1939), You'll Find Out (1940), Playmates (1941), My Favorite Spy (1942), Around the World (1943), Swing Fever (1943), and Carolina Blues (1944). The posters are in color, and most of them contain humorous photographs from the movies. With the exception of the posters for That's Right, You're Wrong and My Favorite Spy, all of the posters measure 11"x14".
| Oversize Paper Folder OP-5289/12 |
Around the World, Carolina Blues , Playmates, Swing Fever |
| Oversize Paper Folder OP-5289/13 |
You'll Find Out |
| Extra Oversize Paper Folder XOPF-5289/1 |
My Favorite Spy, That's Right, You're Wrong |
| Data Compact Disc DCD-5289/1 |
That's Right, You're WrongMaxell CD-R, tiff format |
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Subseries 3.7. Other Printed Materials, 1924-2004 and
undated.
Arrangement: alphabetical by genre.
Books, calendars, journals, catalogs, leaflets, and programs pertaining to Kay Kyser and Georgia Carroll Kyser. The book Dreaming of a Time: The School of Public Health: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill mentions the Kyser's contributions to improve health care in North Carolina. The 1947 book The NBC Parade of Stars as Seen by Sam Berman contains 44 caricatures of NBC radio stars, including one of Kay Kyser. Other celebrities in this book include Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and Edgar Bergen. Pamphlets and leaflets are from various events, including the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the 1942 Tournament of Roses, the commemoration of the Kollege of Musical Knowledge's tenth anniversary on NBC, and the 100th anniversary of the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Chamber of Commerce. "I Like a Gershwin Tune." from The American Scholar mentions Kay Kyser and the Kollege of Musical Knowledge . Catalogs consist of materials by Kay Kyser and other Big Band artists.
| Folder 138a |
Article: "History of the North Carolina Medical Care Commission" ( North Carolina Medical Journal, January 1992) |
| Folder 139 |
Book: Dreaming of a Time: The School of Public Health: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1939-1989 |
| Folder 140 |
Book: The NBC Parade of Stars as Seen by Sam Berman |
| Folder 141 |
Calendars |
| Folder 142 |
Catalogs and order forms |
| Folder 143 |
Journal: The American Scholar, Spring 1995 |
| Folder 144 |
Leaflets |
| Folder 145 |
Programs, 1924-1953 |
| Folder 146 |
Programs, 1986-2004 |
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Series 4. Photographs, circa
1906-1990s.
Arrangement: chronological.
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Subseries 4.1. Prints, circa 1906-1990s.
Arrangement: chronological, then by topic. This arrangement closely adheres to the arrangement of the photographs in the Kay Kyser Collection at the North Carolina Collection.
Photographs of Kay Kyser, Georgia Carroll Kyser, band and orchestra members, and other friends and relatives. Other celebrities depicted in the photographs include Jane Russell, Harry Babbitt, Diane Pendleton, Clark Gable, Mike Douglas, and Ish Kabibble. Many of the photographs were taken during radio broadcasts, including shows performed for troops during World War II. Several of the photographs from the University of North Carolina include 1940s football star Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice. There are also several photographs taken in Kay Kyser's hometown of Rocky Mount, N.C., including inside Kyser's Drugs. There are also photographs of the Kysers's friends, including the family of architect William Pereira; Vietnamese exchange student An Pham; and Lynne Kay Wasserman, daughter of Hollywood agent Lew Wasserman. Many of the photographs are 8"x10" prints, while others are snapshots of various sizes. Many of the 8"x10" prints are also located in the Kay Kyser Collection at the North Carolina Collection.
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Subseries 4.2. Annotated Photographs, circa 1906-1970s.
Arrangement: chronological, then by topic, following the arrangement specified by the North Carolina Collection.
Photocopies of the photographs contained in the Kay Kyser Collection at the North Carolina Collection, which have been numbered and annotated by Georgia Carroll Kyser. There is an itemized list of the photocopies in the folder labeled "Information about the North Carolina Collection photographs." Some of the earlier photographs show Kay Kyser performing as a member of the Carolina Playmakers at the University of North Carolina. There are also several pictures taken at the premiere of Gone With the Wind . Celebrities included in the photographs include Bob Hope, Clark Gable, Ish Kabibble, and University of North Carolina football star Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice. There are also numerous photographs of radio broadcasts, including shows performed for the troops during World War II.
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Subseries 4.3. Photograph Albums, 1920s-1940s and
undated.
Two photograph albums mostly containing photographs from the 1940s. The first album consists of excerpts taken from Ish Kabibble's original World War II diary when he joined Kay Kyser to entertain the troops in the South Pacific in 1945. The album was assembled by Ish Kabibble's daughter, Janet Bogue Arnot, and given to Georgia Carroll Kyser to take to a November 1994 "Big Band Tribute." A clipping of Ish Kabibble's obituary is included in the back of the album. The second album consists of photographs of Kay Kyser taken by Charlie Killebrew in Rocky Mount, N.C. The photographs are undated, but appear to be taken between the 1920s and 1940s, but some may be from the early 1950s. Other people in Killebrew's photographs include Georgia Carroll Kyser, Mack Riggsbee, and a member of the Rocky Mount Rocks baseball team.
| Photograph Album PA-5289/1 |
Ish Kabibble with Kay Kyser, 1945 |
| Photograph Album PA-5289/2 |
Kay Kyser Memories from the Charlie Killebrew Photographic Collection |
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Series 5. Other Papers, 1923-2000s
and undated.
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Subseries 5.1. Memorabilia and Realia, 1923-1990s.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Diplomas, certificates, postcards, and memorabilia and realia pertaining to Kay Kyser. Certificates and diplomas include Kay Kyser's high school diploma and recognitions for his performances and philanthropy. Also included is the speech Kay Kyser made announcing Japan's surrender during World War II, as well as photographs showing the Japanese surrender team. Realia includes the ink stamps Kay Kyser's orchestra and the Kollege of Musical Knowledge used to endorse checks and the medal Kay Kyser received for being the "Television Father of the Year" in 1950.
| Oversize Paper Folder OP-5289/14 |
Diplomas and certificates, 1923-1927 |
| Oversize Paper Folder OP-5289/15 |
Diplomas and certificates, 1930s-1940 |
Oversize Paper Folder OP-5289/16-17
OP-5289/16OP-5289/17 |
Diplomas and certificates, 1941 |
| Oversize Paper Folder OP-5289/18 |
Diplomas and certificates, 1942-1946 |
| Oversize Paper Folder OP-5289/19 |
Diplomas and certificates, 1950-1960 |
| Oversize Paper Folder OP-5289/20 |
Diplomas and certificates, 1973, 1982 |
| Folder 193 |
Drawings of Kay Kyser |
| Folder 194 |
Japanese surrender announcement and photographs |
| Folder 195 |
Photographs of memorabilia |
| Folder 196 |
Postcards |
| Folder 197 |
Radio show memorabilia |
| Folder 198 |
Religious memorabilia |
| Folder 199 |
University of North Carolina memorabilia |
| Folder 200 |
White House memorabilia (Reagan and Clinton) |
| Folder 201 |
Realia: Kay Kyser plaque and Television Father of the Year medal |
| Folder 202 |
Realia: Ink stamps |
| Folder 203 |
Other materials |
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Subseries 5.2. Subject Files, 1930s-2000s.
Arrangement: alphabetical. Materials have been grouped based on the order as received.
Clippings and other materials about people and topics associated with Kay Kyser and Georgia Carroll Kyser grouped by subject. Materials include (but are not limited to) pamphlets advertising the works of artist Drew Beattie; a copy of the Chapel Hill Preservation Society's newsletter Preservation Notes; a lecture by former University of North Carolina Chancellor Robert B. House; a copy of "The Kyser Plan: A Proposal for the Establishment of a Pan-Pacific Foundation," written by Kay Kyser's brother Edward Vernon Kyser; and clippings about Mack Riggsbee, Kay Kyser's "chef, chauffeur, valet, personal secretary, and chaperone." In addition, there are photocopies of Carefully Selected Toys, Games & Occupations and Toys: A practical guide for the selection of play materials that will promote better development, physically, mentally, and emotionally in children , written by Murza Mann Lauder for the J. L. Hudson Company.
| Folder 204 |
Baum, Hope |
| Folder 205 |
Beattie, Drew |
| Folder 206 |
Bush, George W. |
| Folder 207 |
Carroll Family |
| Folder 208 |
Chapman, Marguerite |
| Folder 209 |
Cody, Sophia |
| Folder 210 |
Cunningham, Carter (Mary Carter Brown) |
| Folder 211 |
Historic preservation |
| Folder 212 |
House, Robert B. |
| Folder 213 |
Kyser, Edward Vernon |
| Folder 214 |
Lauder, Murza Mann |
| Folder 215 |
Lauder, Val |
| Folder 216 |
Neal, Bill |
| Folder 217 |
Parrish, Louise |
| Folder 218 |
Peterson, Marjorie Dale Belew |
| Folder 219 |
Riggsbee, Mack |
| Folder 220 |
Seawell, Jim |
| Folder 221 |
Shafer, Charles and Charlotte |
| Folder 222 |
Wasserman, Lew |
| Folder 223 |
Miscellaneous |
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Subseries 5.3. Other Materials, 1930s-2003.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
A 1938 speech given by Kay Kyser at New York University, a contract for apartment dwellers, and Georgia Carroll Kyser's Hollywood address book. The contract for apartment dwellers is for students renting the bottom floor of the Kyser's home on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, N.C. Pool rules are also included. The address book includes entries for celebrities such as Harry Babbitt, Bing Crosby, George Duning, Walt Disney, Bob Hope, and Jimmie Stewart. The videotape Kay Kyser Memories is a presentation by the Tar River Swing Band, performed at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Kay Kyser's hometown of Rocky Mount, N.C.
| Folder 224 |
Address of Kay Kyser at New York University School of Commerce Auditorium, 18 October 1938 |
| Folder 225 |
Contract for apartment dwellers at 504 East Franklin Street |
| Folder 226 |
Hollywood address book |
| Videotape VT-5289/1 |
The Mike Douglas Show (Cassette #2 of 2), 10 December 1976 [?]U-Matic |
| Videotape VT-5289/2 |
Kay Kyser Memories, Tar River Swing Band, 3 December 2003VHS |
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Series 6. Audio Materials, 1930s-1977.
Arrangement: Discs were removed from original volumes, but were kept in original order. Original volumes containing handwritten notes (vol. 1, 4, 5) were saved and are located in Box 3.
Audiodiscs (78 rpm, mono, 10 inch), primarily commercial releases by Kay Kyser and his orchestra and soloists in the 1930s and 1940s on Columbia Records and Brunswick Records, on shellac unless otherwise noted. In addition to songs performed by Kay Kyser and his orchestra in movies and during shows, there are also fight songs and alma maters from the United States Naval Academy, the United States Military Academy, Yale University, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Southern California. Series also includes several test pressings, including one by Jackie Gleason on Capitol Records. There are also two compilation albums released in the 1970s: The World of Kay Kyser and Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge! The audiotape (1200 feet, 7-1/2 ips) contains a 1944 episode of Kollege of Musical Knowledge that took place in Los Alamedos, Calif. Other broadcasts, including a 1945 episode of Downbeat, may also be on the tape.
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Oversize Papers.
Oversize Paper Folder OPF-5289/1-22
OPF-5289/1OPF-5289/2OPF-5289/3OPF-5289/4OPF-5289/5OPF-5289/6OPF-5289/7OPF-5289/8OPF-5289/9OPF-5289/10OPF-5289/11OPF-5289/12OPF-5289/13OPF-5289/14OPF-5289/15OPF-5289/16OPF-5289/17OPF-5289/18OPF-5289/19OPF-5289/20OPF-5289/21OPF-5289/22 |
Oversize papers |
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Items Separated