University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION TABLE OF CONTENTS Biographical Sketch ………………………………………………………………. 2 Scope and Content ………………………………………………………………. 3 Series Notes ………………………………………………………………………. 3 Container List ………………………………………………………………………. 5 Series I: Biographical Information ………………………………………. 5 Series II: Correspondence ………………………………………………. 5 Series III: Professional ………………………………………………. 5 Series IV: Affiliations ………………………………………………………. 5 Series V: Promotional ………………………………………………………. 6 Series VI: Misc ………………………………………………………. 6 Series VII: Plaques ………………………………………………………. 6 Series VIII: Graphics/Posters ………………………………………………. 7 Series IX: Photographs ………………………………………………. 8 Series X: Sheet Music ………………………………………………………. 8 Series XI: Sound Recordings ………………………………………………. 8 MS13-“Cactus” Charlie Menees Collection 1 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Charles (“Cactus” Charlie) Menees was internationally recognized as a critic, radio producer, and jazz educator. He was the first jazz critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His radio programs, featuring big band and jazz, aired in St. Louis for nearly 50 years. He also taught courses on jazz for 20 years at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and other colleges in the St. Louis area. Menees was born November 8, 1916, in Springfield, Illinois. In his late teens he was the leader of a dance band and also began his newspaper career at the Weekly Gazette in Virginia, Illinois, where he grew up. In 1941 he graduated with a degree in History from Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. His first job after graduating was as a reporter-photographer at the Daily Pantagraph in Bloomington, Illinois. In 1943 Charlie Menees married Mary Kay Hardesty and they had three children. Menees later went on to work for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 20 years and then McDonnell Douglas as editor of the Airscoop for 16 years. In the mid-1940s, Menees became St. Louis’ first jazz disc jockey, working at WTMV before moving to WIL a short time after. He later did jazz programming for KWMU for several years, building a loyal audience and attracting high ratings. In 1978 he joined KMOX in St. Louis as the host of Jazz Under The Arch, where he remained until his death. Charlie Menees passed away January 7, 1993, at the age of 76. MS13-“Cactus” Charlie Menees Collection 2 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION SCOPE AND CONTENT The “Cactus” Charlie Menees Collection was donated to the UMKC Miller Nichols Library by his family in 1994. The collection, focusing on big band and traditional jazz between 1917 and 1980, consists of personal and professional material, awards, news clippings, books, periodicals, sheet music, posters and graphics, memorabilia, several hundred photographs, over 25,000 sound recordings on LP, 78 and 45 formats, as well as additional audio/visual material. The collection is housed in the Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections; sound recordings and other audio/visual material are housed in the Marr Sound Archives, the audio division of Special Collections. SERIES NOTES Series I: Biographical Series I is located in box 1, folders 1-8, and box 7, folder 2, and contains general information about Menees life and career. Included are a birth certificate, biographical blurbs and press releases, educational history, 1934-35 diary, family genealogy, news clippings about Menees and his family, tributes and eulogies, and awards and certificates. Series II: Correspondence Series II is divided into two sub-series. Sub-series A, located in box 1, folders 9-11, contains personal correspondence dated 1948-1994. Sub-series B, located in box 2, folders 1-3, contains business correspondence dated 1940-1992. Series III: Professional Series III is located in box 2, folders 4-6, and box 3, folders 1 and 2, and contains material relating to Menees’ career. Included are news clippings of articles written by Menees while he was at the Daily Pantagraph, items related to radio station KMOX such as promotional scripts and schedules, and items related to his instructional activities and lectures. Series IV: Affiliations Series IV is located in box 3, folders 3-6, and contains material related to Menees’ social and professional affiliations. Included are newsletters, bulletins, membership and press cards, conference passes, and other items related to organizations and businesses such as the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors (IAJRC), Jazz at the Philharmonic Club, the Glenn Miller Society, and MacDonnell Douglas. Series V: Promotional Series V is located in box 4, folders 1-4, and box 7, folder 1, and contains flyers and programs related to special events Menees participated in or attended. Included are Opera and Philharmonic programs from the St. Louis area. Series VI: Miscellaneous Series VI is located in box 4, folders 5-7, and box 7, folder 3, and contains miscellaneous material. Included are Menees’ license plates reading “ST-JAZZ,” a menu inscribed by Tex MS13-“Cactus” Charlie Menees Collection 3 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION Beneke and various buttons. Also included is a women’s suffrage scrapbook, dating back to 1916, that was probably assembled by Mrs. Blanche Menees, Charlie’s mother. Series VII: Plaques Series VII is located in box 4, folder 8; box 5, folders 1-6; box 6, folders 1-6 and box 7. It contains numerous plaque awards dating from 1977 to 1992. Series VIII: Graphics/Posters Series VIII is located in box 8, folders 1-13, and oversized drawer 30, folders 1-15. It contains various graphics, including caricatures and cartoons, related to and/or collected by Menees. Also included are several jazz posters, some autographed by popular musicians of the day. Of interest are several large handmade Holiday greeting cards from John Graber a huge fan of Menees, who on every card misspelled Menees as “Meneese”. Inclusive dates are 1966-1993. Series IX: Photographs Series IX is located in Photograph Boxes 1-21, and consists of over 1000 black-and-white and color images. Included are many rare publicity and performance shots of jazz musicians, as well as opera and classical performers and conductors. Also included are photos of Menees in professional and personal settings, and other miscellaneous images Series X: Sheet Music Series X consists of over 3700 pieces of sheet music, which have been removed from the collection and integrated into the Department of Special Collections’ Popular American Sheet Music Collection. Contact Special Collections for a list of titles to these music scores. Series XI: Sound Recordings Series XI consists of sound recordings on a variety of audio formats. Material is housed in the Marr Sound Archives, the audio division of Special Collections. MS13-“Cactus” Charlie Menees Collection 4 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION CONTAINER LIST SERIES I: BIOGRAPHICAL Box Folder Description 1. 1. Birth certificate, various biographies, press releases 2. Education: grade school, high school & college reports/papers 3. Diary, 1934-1935 4. Family Genealogy 5. News Clippings (about Menees) 6. News Clippings/Miscellaneous (Menees family) 7. Tributes/Eulogies 8. Awards/Certificates [“Charlie Menees’ Jazz U” and Robert Menees’ “US Naval Aviator Training” certificates located in box 7, folder 2] SERIES II: CORRESPONDENCE Box Folder Description A. Personal 1. 9. 1948-1994 10. Miscellaneous undated 11. Sympathy B. Business 2. 1. 1980-1992 & miscellaneous undated 2. 1974-1979 3. 1940-1966 SERIES III: PROFESSIONAL Box Folder Description 2. 4. Daily Pantagraph Articles by Menees 5. KMOX Radio/Promotional; Scripts & Schedules 6. News Clippings by Menees/Record Makers; Reporter at Large; Miscellaneous 3. 1. Instructional Activities/Lectures/Class Instruction [1 of 2] 2. Instructional Activities/Lectures/Class Instruction [2 of 2] SERIES IV: AFFILIATIONS Box Folder Description 3. 3. Social Organizations MS13-“Cactus” Charlie Menees Collection 5 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION 3. 4. Glenn Miller Society 5. Newsletters/Bulletins [1 of 2] 6. Newsletters/Bulletins [2 of 2] SERIES V: PROMOTIONAL Box Folder Description 4. 1. Flyers/Programs [1 of 2] 2. Flyers/Programs [2 of 2] 3. Souvenir Books [“The Duke” located in box 7, folder1] 4. Opera/Philharmonic Books SERIES VI: MISCELLANEOUS Box Folder Description 4. 5. “Jazz is Alive and Well” by Marjorie Bandy 6. Miscellaneous items: buttons; poetry; mortgage deed; napkins; Tex Beneke autographed menu, etc. 7. Personalized License plates-“St. Jazz” [Women’s Suffrage Scrapbook, 1916 in box 7, folder 3] SERIES VII: PLAQUES Box Folder Description 4. 8. Grand Marshall/1980 Greentree Parade 5. 1. Bert Granville Award/McDonnell Douglas Corp, 1978 2. Belleville Area College/”Jazz up February”, 1980 3. NAJE/Outstanding Service to Jazz Education, 1981 4. Webster Jazz Festival/ “For all the Inspiring Anecdotes...”, 1990 5. “Jazz Along the River”/Emcee 6. St. Louis Jazz Society/Dedicated Service, 1977 6. 1. Golden Microphone Award/St. Louis Jazz Club, 1977 [Gold Microphone in box 7] 2. Outstanding Service/Musicians Association of St. Louis, 1979; NAJE Award/35 years of Outstanding Contribution to Jazz Ed., 1979 3. Outstanding Service/Now’s the Time Productions, 1984 4. Louie Award/St. Louis Jazz Club, 1991 5. Greatful [sic] Appreciation/Clark Terry Concert, 1989 6. Jess Cole Award/MO.I.A.J.E., 1992 7. n/a Southern Illinois University/Distinguished Service Award, 1989 n/a Gold Microphone [Attachment to Plaque in box 6] n/a Mounted mouthpiece; gold musical note MS13-“Cactus” Charlie Menees Collection 6 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION SERIES VIII: GRAPHICS/POSTERS Box Folder Description 8.