Summary Information
Patrick Hayes Papers
1942-1977
U.S. Mss 39AN
1.6 c.f. (4 archives boxes)
Wisconsin Historical Society Archives / Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research Contact Information
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of a Washington, D.C., cultural impressario chiefly consisting of scripts for People and Events in the World of Music, a cultural affairs program aired by radio station WGMS. Fragmentary correspondence includes letters from Rudolf Bing, Hubert H. Humphrey, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman. There is also a small file of speeches and remarks.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0039an ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
James Patrick Hayes, the Washington, D.C. cultural impressario, “has been for a quarter of a century a kind of one-man cultural center,” commented the Washington Post in 1968. Hayes, whose original name was James Kearney, was the son of an actor, Pat Kearney. Born in New York City, he grew up in Massachusetts and attended Harvard College.
Hayes was a field representative for the NBC Artists Bureau in New York City from 1938 to 1941. In 1941 he became manager of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington. After a thirty months leave for service in the Navy, Hayes continued with the National Symphony until 1947, when he founded the Hayes Concert Bureau.
The Bureau intended to present new as well as recognized talent; among the artists presented by Hayes were Emil Gilels, the first Soviet artist to appear in Washington, and Leontyne Price and Rudolph Serkin, who made their first Washington appearances under his sponsorship.
In 1965 Hayes founded the Washington Performing Arts Society, a non-profit organization which presents recitals and concerts in the capital city. He serves as president of this organization and as director of its “Concerts in the Schools” program.
Hayes has been active in many organizations concerned with cultural affairs. He was a founder and first president of the International Association of Concert Managers. In 1961 he was asked to serve as a member of the Advisory Committee on the Arts for the National Cultural Center. He has appeared before many Congressional committees to speak in behalf of cultural programs.
He has been particularly involved in the cultural life of Washington. In the early 1950's he began a series of Sunday radio broadcasts on WGMS, People and Events in the World of Music, in which he commented on various matters of timely interest in the musical world. He is former vice-chairman of the Cultural Development Committee of the Washington Board of Trade, and past president of the Greater Washington Music Committee. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington Drama Society (Arena Stage), of WETA-TV (a Washington educational television station), and of the Washington Ballet Guild. He has been appointed by the Washington mayor to serve on the Commission on the Arts for the District of Columbia. As the Post stated, he “has enriched the life of this community beyond any calculation.”
Hayes is married to the former Evelyn Swarthout, a pianist who has appeared at Town Hall and as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra. She is a professor of music at the American University. They live in Washington, D.C.
Scope and Content Note
The collection has been arranged in two series: General Files and Broadcasting Files.
The GENERAL FILES consist of clippings, correspondence, miscellany, reference material, speeches, and articles. A folder of correspondence contains a letter from Eleanor Roosevelt expressing her ideas about the future of music during wartime, and another from President Harry S Truman accepting Hayes' invitation to attend a concert by “a charming, lovely, and talented young American soprano, Miss Margaret Truman.” A partial index to the correspondents includes:
| Rudolph Bing |
2 May 1959 |
| Hubert Humphrey |
26 May 1966 |
| |
19 November 1969 |
| Eleanor Roosevelt |
17 January 1942 |
| Arthur Schnabel (concert pianist) |
3 March 1948 |
| |
11 March 1948 |
| Harry S Truman |
21 October 1947 |
| |
15 January 1948 |
Among the speeches are Hayes' 1950 presidential report to the members of the National Association of Concert Managers, his remarks at a Women's National Democratic Club meeting, and transcripts of his comments before various Congressional committees. Miscellany includes flyers that announce the 1955 appearance of Emil Gilels, the first Soviet artist to appear in Washington, and a special concert celebrating the tenth anniversary season of Hayes Concert Bureau.
The BROADCASTING FILES make up the majority of the collection and consist of transcripts of Hayes' radio program People and Events in the World of Music, broadcast over WGMS in Washington, D.C. On these programs Hayes commented on musical events in New York and Washington and on international events of cultural significance, such as the Brussels World Fair.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Placed on deposit by Patrick Hayes, Washington, D.C., 1968-1977. Accession Number: MCHC68-103, MCHC69-062, MCHC71-157, MCHC72-003, MCHC72-010, MCHC72-015, MCHC76-069, MCHC77-070, MCHC77-094
Processed by Barbara Furstenberg, 1969, and Christine Rongone, 1979.
Contents List
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Series: General Files
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Clippings, 1959-1970
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Correspondence, January 1942-June 1971
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Miscellany, 1949-1962, n.d.
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Reference Material, 1956-1962, n.d.
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Speeches and Articles, ca. 1950-1973, n.d.
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Series: Broadcasting Files
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People and Events in the World of Music (Washington, D.C., WGMS)
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Box
1
Folder
6-11
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1951, December 23-1957, December 29
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Box
2
Folder
1-7
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1958, January 5-1962, June 24
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Box
3
Folder
1-7
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1962, July 1-1966, December 25
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Box
4
Folder
1-6
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1967, January 1-1977, October 13
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