Music Library Special Collections: Guest Books

The University of Louisville School of Music guest book was begun in 1949 as the official guest book for the Louisville Orchestra Commissioning Series. Eventually the book evolved into the official guest book for the University of Louisville School of Music. The first volume, containing more than 900 signatures from visitors to the School of Music, including guest artists, composers, lecturers, and dignitaries, was nearly filled in 2011, when a second volume was created in the same style. Notable signatures found in the guest book include those of Aaron Copland, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Hillary Clinton, among many others. Also included in the book are signatures from all winners of the world-renowned Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition. Among the most treasured historical items in the School of Music, the guest books are housed at the Dwight Anderson Music Library.