The Papers of Philip James

In World War I he served in the Army and was bandmaster at the American Expeditionary Forces Band. Following the war he completed his music education and co-founded the New Jersey Orchestra, serving as its first conductor. He also became an instructor in 1923 in the music department at New York University, an institution he was affiliated with from 1934 to 1975.

In 1929, Mr. James became the regular conductor of the Bamberger Little Symphony over radio station WOR. In 1932, he won the first prize of $5,000 in a NBC competition for original symphonic for American musicians with his satirical suite,"Station WGZBX."

Philip James suffered a heart attack in 1960 which, from then on, severely restricted his professional and social engagements, although he still actively composed music. He died at age 85, on November 1, 1975 at his home in Southampton, L. I.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTES

The Philip James Papers span the years 1929 to 1960 although the bulk of the material dates from 1929 to 1936. The collection contains correspondence, a catalog of Mr. James' Musical Works, two bound books of program notes from the Bamberger Little Symphony Orchestra radio programs, and 10 volumes of printed sheets of piano-conductors used by Philip James in his Bamberger Little Symphony Orchestra broadcasts.

SERIES DESCRIPTION

Series I: Music of Philip James

This series contains, among others, ten volumes of printed sheets of piano-conductors used by Mr. James for his Bamberger Little Symphony Orchestra broadcasts. Many of these sheets are annotated with performance-related markings, such as timing, cuts and dynamics.

Also included in this series are two volumes of Bamberger Little Symphony Orchestra radio programs under the direction of Mr. James, which include the timing of individual pieces and names of soloists. This series also includes two catalogs of Mr. James1 music, Also listed are additional miscellaneous ratio programs that were under the director of Mr. James.

Series II: Correspondence, 1932-1960

Correspondence to Philip James is divided into two parts: listener and business. Listener correspondence contains a bound book entitled, Congratulatory Telegrams and Fan Letters. The book contains letters and postcards sent to Mr. James from listeners throughout the country thanking him for his participation in the Bamberger Little Symphony Orchestra broadcasts, as well as congratulatory letters for his prize winning compositions. Business correspondence includes communication with stations WOR, NBC, and CBS.

For further information, contact the Library of American Broadcasting.