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Art Exhibits: Andrew Jackson Grayson "Birds of the Pacific Slope", April-May 1987

 File — Box: 1, Folder: 6

Scope and Content of Collection

From the Collection:

The San José State University Campus Events Collection, 1925-2007 (bulk 1950-1970) documents university and student sponsored events, such as Spardi Gras, Spartan Revelries, Homecoming, and the Centennial and Sesquicentennial celebrations of the University. The records consist of print materials such as scrapbooks, flyers, calendars, newspapers, and brochures. Notable items in this collection include a photo scrapbook of images from a performance by the Smothers Brothers; a flyer and invitation for a speech by Richard Nixon; flyers for appearances by the poets Audre Lorde, Robert Bly, and William Stafford, and activist Flo Kennedy; and flyers and event announcements from a wide variety of art exhibits held on campus.

Spartan Revelries was an all-student show that took place until 1963. It is described as follows in the 1960 La Torre: "Spartan Revelries has been a tradition on the San Jose State College campus for more than thirty years. This all-student college musical event is written, produced, and presented entirely by students, and any student on the campus may participate in its production. The first Revelries, as a full-fledged musical comedy is shrouded in mystery. Some sources indicated that it began in 1929 as a grand finale to Spardi Gras. Others suggest that it had its beginning in 1933. At least we know that back in those days a spring musical of some sort was represented each year. In 1930 there was a student-written and produced show called 'Jazzmania,' which enjoyed tremendous success. In 1949 a Revelries Board was established to carry out the business and management of each year's show, which has grown to be an event requiring the efforts of many students and several months of preparation."

Spardi Gras was an all-student event. Based on information from the La Torre yearbooks, Spardi Gras was first held on Washington's birthday in 1929. It was described in the 1929 yearbook as follows: "Another event which met with unprecedented participance by the entire student body was the first annual Spardi Gras or Hobo Day on Washington's Birthday, a gala occasion of play, sport, and merrymaking later authorized by the Executive Board as an annual event because of its great success." The last entry about Spardi Gras appears in the 1950 yearbook.

Dates

  • Creation: April-May 1987

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

The collection is open for research.

Extent

From the Collection: 4 boxes (4.667 linear feet)

Repository Details

Part of the SJSU Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
(408) 808-2062
(408) 808-2063 (Fax)