Finding Aid for Morris and Barnard Young Music Business Records, 1832-1988 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Lindy Smith and Mark Puente

[Printer Friendly] | [ Email us about these papers]

Collection Overview

Title: Morris and Barnard Young Music Business Records, 1832-1988

ID: 12/9/108

Primary Creator: Young, Morris N. (1909)

Extent: 50.25 cubic feet

Arrangement: Organized in seven series.

Date Acquired: 00/00/1995

Subjects: Music business, Music Publishers

Formats/Genres: Broadsides, Financial Records, Sheet music

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Morris and Barnard Young Business Records consists of financial records, correspondence, royalty statements, songsters and broadsides, radio logs, legal documents, periodicals, music manuscripts, and memorabilia (fliers, brochures, playbills, etc.) that were compiled by Morris N. Young, as part owner of several music publishing, marketing, producing, and artist representation enterprises owned and operated by the brothers between ca. 1934 and 1972. The collection contains legal reports and supporting documentation from key litigation cases that were filed by Barney Young in the 1950s and 1960s against Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) et. al., and the Walt Disney Corporation. The collection also includes periodicals and publications both generated by companies owned by one or both of the Young brothers and those that they collected. The final three series are publications and manuscripts, both musical and prose, created by associates of the Youngs.

Biographical Note

Morris N. Young -- opthalmologist, author, and collector of books and artifacts on magic, mnemonics, and old sheet music -- was born July 20, 1909 in Lawrence, Massachusetts and died November 13, 2002 in Norwich, Connecticut at the aged of ninety-three. In addition to his vocational and avocational involvements, Young served as president of or was heavily involved with many music publishing companies and performer organizations such as Bomart Music Company, Ferris Records, National Juke Box Records, Godell Music, International Songwriters Association, and the Denton & Haskins Music Corporation which he and his brother, Bernard Young, purchased.

Subject/Index Terms

Music business
Music Publishers

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Acquisition Method:

The UIUC Music Library purchased a related collection, the Morris Young Music Library of Early American Popular Music, in 1986 from rare book broker, J. Lubrano in New York. The business records were acquired in a subsequent gift from the collector's estate ca. 1995.

Box 127 transferred from MPAL: 4/12/2017

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Business Records and Personal Papers, 1936-1986],
[Series 2: Litigation Files, 1936-1973],
[Series 3: Barnard and Morris Young Music Company Periodicals and Publications, 1928-1966],
[Series 4: Non-Young Company Periodicals and Publications, 1832-1988],
[Series 5: Merle Kendrick Papers and Music, 1936-1956],
[Series 6: George Whiting Papers, 1934-1941],
[Series 7: E.M. Wickes papers, 1948-1951],
[All]

Series 2: Litigation Files, 1936-1973

Consists of legal briefs, reports, legal opinions, publications and supporting documentation for Barnard Young's lawsuit brought by Life Music, Inc. against BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, RCA, NBC, CBS, Columbia Records, Inc., Blackwood Music, Inc., Master Records, Inc. and April Music, Inc. In addition there are documents related to United States v. ASCAP, United States v. BMI, and Life Music, Inc., Barney Young (also known as Don Fenton) and Gloria Parker (also known as Patricia Smith) v. Wonderland Music Company, Walt Disney Productions, Buena Vista Records, Julie Andrews, Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman and BMI. Unarranged.

Box 40: Legal Papers, 1951-1964

Folder 1: Check Vouchers: BMI, 1957
Folder 2: Life Music Royalties: BMI, 1956
Folder 3: Notes, Correspondence: BMI; "Portrait of a 'Protector'": ASCAP, 1951-1957
Folder 4: Legal Documents, Correspondence, Newspaper Clippings: BMI, 1964-1965
Folder 5: Stenographer's Minutes and Other Legal Documents: BMI, 1965
Folder 6: Legal Documents, Licenses, 1956
Folder 7: Correspondence and Licenses: BMI, 1954
Folder 8: Correspondence: BMI, 1954
Folder 9: Correspondence: BMI, 1950-1954
Folder 10: Legal Memoranda, Notes: BMI, 1954-1961
Folder 11: Legal Documents: BMI, 1961-1962
Folder 12: Notes, ABA Journal Article, Legal Documents: BMI, 1963
Folder 13: Legal Documents: BMI, 1961-1964
Folder 14: Legal Opinions: BMI, 1962
Folder 15: Legal Documents: BMI, 1958-1959
Folder 16: Affidavits: BMI, 1958-1959
Folder 17: Exhibits: BMI, 1959
Folder 18: Legal Documents: BMI, 1961
Folder 19: Petition for Writ of Mandamus: BMI, 1964
Folder 20: Notice of Motion: BMI, 1954-1964
Folder 21: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964
Folder 22: Notice of Motion: BMI, 1964
Folder 23: Notes and Legal Documents: BMI, 1962
Folder 24: Legal Documents: BMI, 1956

Box 41: Legal Papers, 1948-1965

Folder 1: Legal Documents: BMI, 1950-1954
Folder 2: Legal Documents and News Clippings: BMI, 1948-1965
Folder 3: Legal Documents: BMI, 1963-1964
Folder 4: Legal Documents: BMI, 1958-1964
Folder 5: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964
Folder 6: Amendment to Communications Act of 1934 (exhibit): BMI, 1958
Folder 7: Legal Documents: BMI and ASCAP, 1950-1954
Folder 8: Exhibits: BMI, 1957
Folder 9: Legal Documents: BMI, 1949-1954
Folder 10: Legal Documents: BMI, 1952-1953
Folder 11: Check Stubs: BMI, Undated
Folder 12: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964
Folder 13: Legal Documents: BMI and ASCAP, 1948-1960
Folder 14: Legal Documents and Notes: BMI, 1954-1964
Folder 15: Tax Documents: BMI, 1961
Folder 16: Tax Documents: BMI, 1958-1961
Folder 17: Tax Document Exhibits: BMI, 1951-1955
Folder 18: Tax Document Exhibits: BMI, 1951-1955
Folder 19: Tax Document Exhibits: BMI, 1951-1956
Folder 20: Correspondence and Exhibits: BMI, 1949-1956
Folder 21: Bank Statements and Legal Documents: BMI, 1951-1955
Folder 22: Exhibits: BMI, 1956-1961
Folder 23: Exhibits: BMI, 1956-1960

Box 42: Legal Papers, 1964

Folder 1: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964
Folder 2: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964

Box 43: Legal Papers, 1960-1973

Folder 1: Notes, Legal Documents, and Photocopies: BMI, 1967-1972
Folder 2: Providing for Royalties for Musical Compositions on Coin-Operated Machines (publication), 1963
Folder 3: Legal Documents: BMI and Disney, 1961-1972
Folder 4: Legal Documents and News Clippings: BMI, 1953-1973
Folder 5: Legal Documents: BMI, ca. 1960
Folder 6: Legal Documents: BMI, 1969-1973

Box 44: Legal Papers, 1956-1971

Folder 1: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964
Folder 2: Legal Documents: BMI, 1956-1971

Box 45: Legal Papers, 1958-1971

Folder 1: Legal Documents and Notes: BMI, 1958-1971
Folder 2: Legal Documents: BMI, 1965-1966
Folder 3: Exhibits: BMI, 1965

Box 46: Legal Papers, 1956-1965

Folder 1: Broadcast Music, Inc. 1940-1960 (publication), 1960
Folder 2: Legal Documents: BMI, 1956-1965
Folder 3: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964-1965
Folder 4: Legal Documents: BMI, 1961-1963
Folder 5: Legal Documents: BMI, Undated

Box 47: Legal Papers, 1953-1961

Folder 1: Legal Documents and Advertisements: BMI, 1954-1961
Folder 2: Correspondence and Notes: BMI, 1953-1956
Folder 3: Legal Documents: BMI, 1954-1961
Folder 4: Legal Documents: BMI, 1958-1961
Folder 5: Notes and Legal Documents: BMI, 1960

Box 48: Legal Papers, 1936-1964

Folder 1: Legal Publications, 1936-1958
Folder 2: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964
Folder 3: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964
Folder 4: Legal Documents: BMI, 1964
Folder 5: Legal Documents: BMI, Undated
Folder 6: Legal Publications: USA v. BMI, 1941
Folder 7: Legal Documents: USA v. ASCAP, 1940-1949
Item 1: Monopoly Problems in Regulated Industries (publication), 1957