This exhibit was curated by Professor Michael Heller, with the help of his students Jeff Weston and Billy D. Scott, and Media Curator Miriam Meislik. It was furthermore made possible through the enduring support and diligent work of: 

Ed Galloway, Susan Rosenberg, Jocelyn Arem, Kari Johnston, Michael Johnston, Professor Geri Allen, Benjamin Barson, Julie Seavy, and the staffs of the University of Pittsburgh's University Library System, Archives Service Center, and Department of Music.  

And a big thanks to Shannon McClenning for helping to write most of the text in this guide!

The Archives Service Center (ASC) is one of two locations for the Archives & Special Collections department at Pitt. It is the repository for manuscript and record collections, rare books, and periodicals that document the history of Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania region, including the University of Pittsburgh. Some of our collecting focuses include 20th century urban renewal, ethnic groups in the city, theater and performing arts, the history of the philosophy of science, labor records, and University records.

The International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame was founded at the University of Pittsburgh in 1977. Its goal is to recognize the genre's highest-achieving and most-talented artists, inducting new members each year. Erroll was inducted in 1980, and is in the company of other greats such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Ella Fitzgerald. The Hall of Fame is permanently located in the University's William Pitt Union.

In February 2016, in honor of the Archive's opening, a new exhibit dedicated to Erroll Garner was unveiled . The exhibit was a combined effort of the Archives Service Center and the Pitt Department of Music, particularly Jazz Studies faculty and students under the direction of Grammy nominated Professor Geri Allen. The Hall of Fame and the exhibit are open to the public. 

The main case of the exhibit features a collection of items from the Erroll Garner Archive. Among them include numerous awards and promotional posters highlighting special moments in Garner's career. There are photos featuring Garner with other celebrities of the time, such as Perry Como and Johnny Mathis, and candid images of the pianist in the recording studio. Also on view are some of his personal belongings and accessories, as well as several hand-drawn portraits of Garner that were given to him by dedicated fans.

Erroll's longtime manager, Martha Glaser, collected what would become the Erroll Garner Archive beginning in 1950 and continuing long after Erroll's death in 1977. The Archive was acquired by the University of Pittsburgh in 2015, where it is managed by and housed at Pitt's Archives Service Center (ASC). You can learn more through our guide devoted specifically to the Erroll Garner Archive.