Table of Contents
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Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids
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| Collection |
| Title: | John Ross papers |
| Dates: | 1963-2006 |
| Call Number: | M70 |
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Scope and Content Note
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The John Ross papers document his work as music director of Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists and his professional activities outside of them. The majority of the collection concerns performances of either Ross or the National Center of Afro-American Artists. This includes scripts, notes, advertisements, programs, and cast lists. Documentation of the annual Black Nativity is most prominent.
The collection also contains administrative, programmatic, audiovisual, and student records of Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists. Included are budgets, proposals, applications, schedules, student lists, organizational information, and correspondence. Other records include information about the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, Elma Lewis (founder of the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and the National Center of Afro-American Artists), and the National Black Music Colloquium and Competition. There are also two recorded performances of Black Nativity: a CD Master DAT tape from 1995 and a mini-disc from December 8, 1996. In addition, there are two reel-to-reel tapes of Randy Weston performing for the Boston Pops in 1981. During this performance, Weston performed a song titled "Three African Queens: Blues for Elma Lewis." The collection also includes a small number of photographs of performances.
Records relating to his work outside of Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists include information about his book Climbing Jacob's Ladder, his involvement with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.), his involvement in the Unitarian Universalist Musician's Network, the annual festival of African Diaspora, and his notes and correspondence, which concern, Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and National Center of Afro-American Artists among other topics |
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