Sousa Archives and Center for American Music Administrative Files, 1914-2024 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

The collection is organized in four series: Series 1) Correspondence; Series 2) Administrative Files; Series 3) Urbana-Champaign Local Music Preservation Initiative; and Series 4) Archon and Archives Space Development Files.

Series 1) is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Series 2) is organized in six sub-series: Sub-series 1) Budget Files, Grant and Project Proposals, Staff and Committee Files, Reports, and Awards; Sub-series 2) Marketing, Conference Materials, and Research and Drafts of Articles; Sub-series 3) American Music Month and Public Engagment Files; Sub-series 4) Exhibit Captions and Labels; Sub-series 5) Collection Management Files and Closed Lead Files; and Sub-series 6) Instructional Materials and Processing Projects. Sub-series 1, 2, 5, and 6 are unarranged and Sub-series 3 and 4 are arranged chronologically. Series 3) is arranged chronologically. Series 4) is arranged chronologically.

Established in 1994 as the Sousa Archives for Band Research (SABR) and renamed the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music (SACAM) in January 2004.  The Center's mission supports and facilitates research, education, and public engagement by preserving and providing access to the documentary evidence of this country's music and fine arts heritage.  Prior to 1994, the archives was referred to as the Sousa Library and Museum, and was managed by the University Bands.  In 1994 responsibility for the care of the paper records was transferred to the University Library and in 2003 the responsibility for the preservation of the music instruments and artifacts was transferred to the Library. In 2004, the Center received a congressional proclaimation, declairing that the month of November would be designated as American Music Month. Since then, the Sousa Archives has celebrated this with an annual exhibition, featuring objects and paper records from within the Center's holdings.

Since 2007, the Sousa Archives has participated in and hosted concerts during local festivals including: Granny's Porch, the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival, the CU Folk and Roots Festival, the Boneyard Arts Festival, and the CU Pride Fest. Beginning in 2013, the Archives began a local music initiative, collecting oral history interviews and records from local musicians, record producers, and concert organizers.

The Sousa Archives has also contributed to national developments in archival collection management systems, assisting in the development of both Archon and Archives Space.