Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the William "Cat" Anderson Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0630
Creators:
Anderson, William "Cat", 1916-1981 (musician)
Dates:
1940-1981
bulk 1963-1977
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
5 Cubic feet
12 boxes
Repository:

Scope and Contents note

Scope and Contents note
Primarily audiotapes, sheet music, and photographic images. Also: correspondence, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, itineraries, awards, and ephemera.,Of particular interest are recordings or photographic images, including the personalities listed below, and President and Mrs. Tubman of Liberia; also, two interviews and three recordings of Cat Anderson as guest with various university and college jazz bands.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is divided into four series.
Series 1: Music
Series 2: Original tapes and recordings
Series 3: Photographs
Series 4: Miscellaneous

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Cat Anderson (Sept 12, 1916 - April 29, 1981) was one of the premier trumpet players of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Known for his effortless high notes, he was a strong section leader and a great soloist whose style exhibited humor and precision. He grew up in Jenkins= Orphanage in Charleston, SC, received basic music training there, and participated in many of their famous student ensembles. He formed and played with the Cotton Pickers, a group of orphanage teens while still a young man. Before joining Ellington in 1944, he played in several big bands, including Claude Hopkins and Lionel Hampton. Anderson left the Ellington organization from 1947 through 1949 again to lead his own group. From 1959 to1961 and after 1971 Anderson free lanced, working with the Ellington orchestra intermittently. He died in 1981 after receiving honors from the US Air Force, the Prix du Disque de Jazz, and the City of Los Angeles.

Administration

Author
Ann Kuebler
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History in January 1998, by Dorothy Anderson, Cat Anderson's widow. It was acquired through negotiations with her, her brother, Mr. John Coffey and her nephew, Andrew Brazington. The materials were picked up from Mr. John Coffey of upper N.W. Washington, DC on January 21, 1998.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Ann Kuebler, 1998.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access
Collection is open for research. Master tapes not available to researchers.
Preferred Citation
William "Cat" Anderson Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Copyright status of items varies. Signed copies of releases on file.

Related Archival Materials
Related artifacts include: awards, plaques, mutes, trumpet mouth pieces, and the Jon Williams/Cat Anderson simulator in the Division of Cultural and Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life). See accession: 1998.3074.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transcripts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Music -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Music -- Acoustics and physics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Musicians -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oral histories (document genres) Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oral history Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Phonograph records Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Piano and synthesizer music Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Inventions -- 1980-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Synthesizer music Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews -- 1950-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Composers -- 20th century Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Electric engineering -- 1980-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Band musicians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clippings -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Audiotapes -- 1940-1980 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Awards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Audiocassettes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Audiotapes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American musicians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Articles -- 1940-1980 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jazz musicians -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Inventors -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lionel Hampton Orchestra Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mingus Quintet Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Humphrey, Muriel Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Duke Ellington Orchestra Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Johnson, Lucy Bird Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hampton, Lionel Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Humphrey, Hubert H. (Hubert Horatio), 1911-1978 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Calloway, Cab, 1907-1994 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Carter, Benny, 1907-2003 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cat Anderson Quintet Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bechet, Sidney (musician) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tatum, Art, 1909-1956 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Webster, Ben Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
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