Lionel Hampton papers, 1918-2002

The business records include tax returns, royalty statements, bank statements, contracts, payroll records, agreements, copyrights, and annual reports of the Lionel Hampton record and music publishing companies.

This series also includes fourteen pieces of sheet music. Most of the sheet music was published by Swing and Tempo Music, between 1944-1945 and 1948-1949 and features Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra. It includes: Evil Gal Blues; Goldwyn Stomp, from the film A Song is Born; Gone Again; Homeward Bound; I Feel Like You Already Know; Pick Up on the Ree Bop Kick; Robbins in Your Hair; Salty Papa Blues; Sky Blue; Who am I to Say; Your Guess is as Good as Mine; and Hey! ba-ba-re-bop (published by Leeds Music in 1946). Other pieces of sheet music are Gladys, recorded by Tiny Hill (Luristan Music, 1962) and Hello Ronnie, Good-bye Jimmy (for Ronald Reagan), (Passantino Music, 1980).

Other materials related to copyrights and contracts in this series include Broadcast Music Industry (BMI) payment schedule, 1975; compositions, owners list, 1945-1963; copyrights awaiting clearance, 1990-91; copyrights list, 1938-71; copyright registration information and forms; phonograph record trust agreement, 1969; writers and publishers clearance forms, BMI; receipts of notice of use of copyrights; recording licenses, clearances, 1945-1988; Swing and Tempo Copyright renewals list (1963), 1991; and transfer of copyrights, 1945, 1963. They also include some original lead sheets accompanied by copyrights and contracts forms.

Below is an alphabetical list of the titles of the lead sheets included in copyrights and contracts.

Personal papers (1953-1998) in this series include cover letters for photographs and awards, membership cards, invitations and event programs (some related to the awarding of academic honorary degrees), birthday and thank you cards, and letters of sympathy after the death of Gladys Hampton.

Also included in this series are national and foreign newspaper clippings (1958–1997), programs and publications (1946–1998), and twenty-four posters.

The earliest photographs in this series are of members of Lionel Hampton's maternal family, including portraits of grandmother Louvenia Morgan and uncle Richard Morgan, from early 1900s. The bulk of the photographs relate to Lionel Hampton's musical career. Hampton is pictured performing with groups with which he was associated throughout his career, such as the Benny Goodman Sextet, the Jazz Inner Circle, the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, the Golden Men of Jazz, and Big Band reunions with his alumni. Events shown in this collection include his private audience with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in 1968; his last appearance with Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall in 1978; receiving awards and honorary degrees at several universities; the dedication of the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho in 1987; the celebration of his 90th birthday at the Blue Note in New York in 1998; and performances around the world including Japan, Israel, and several European countries. As an active campaigner for the Republican Party, he is shown with U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and other political figures of the period. Lionel Hampton is also portrayed with personalities from sports, religion, military, advertising, and show business.

This series also includes a collection of portraits of Gladys Hampton.

Photographers represented in this collection are Ashton of Hollywood, Bruno of Hollywood, Coopel of Los Angeles, Eddie Rocco of Hollywood, Gordon Parks of Chicago, Jesse Smith of Los Angeles, Lindblom of Indianapolis, Maurice of Chicago, Monroe S. Frederick II of New York, and Popsie of New York, among others.