Creator
Dates
- 1924-2015
- Majority of material found within 1964-2015
Scope and Contents
The Peter F. O’Brien papers contain materials from 1924-2015, with most of the material dating from the 1970s to 2015. The collection includes records of O’Brien’s work with Mary Lou Williams, first as a friend and supporter, then manager, and finally executive director of the Mary Lou Williams Foundation. It includes correspondence between the two starting from his first letter to her in 1964 to her death in 1981. There are business papers created during his work on her behalf prior to becoming her manager, his time as her manager, and his work at Duke University, concurrent with her appointment as Duke's Artist-in-Residence. His papers include the address book he used during his time as her manager as well as multiple datebooks and weekly calendars tracking his day-to-day activities, covering the years 1973-2007.
O’Brien was a lifelong supporter and fan of art and music, especially African-American music, and his interest often extended into professional management. He developed collections of materials related to Carl Van Vechten, Thelma Carpenter, Ethel Waters, and others—most of whom he corresponded with—and there are materials related to his management of artist Antonio Salemme. There are also photographs documenting O’Brien’s life and career, and a sequence of photographs taken and provided by Van Vechten.
Materials from O’Brien came to the Institute of Jazz Studies unarranged. All materials were reviewed by IJS archivists for any items that could be linked to Mary Lou Williams or the Williams Foundation, or as part of one of the series above. Materials not moved to those series are included in Series 6: Unprocessed materials. Many contain mention of Williams, but most do not directly pertain to Williams.
Extent
9 Cubic Feet
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for use. Materials related to students may contain private information. Those items may be restricted.
Language of Materials
English
Biographical / Historical
Peter F. O’Brien (1941-2015) was a priest, educator, and arts administrator. He served as close confidant and manager to Mary Lou Williams as she developed her masses and fortified her legacy, and served as executive director of the Mary Lou Williams Foundation after her death in 1981, further establishing her place in the jazz pantheon.
Peter O’Brien was born on August 24, 1940, in Englewood, New Jersey. He was educated at Xavier High School in New Jersey and became a Jesuit at age 17, entering the Society of Jesus on July 30, 1958. He received a licentiate in philosophy at Loyola Seminary in Shrub Oak, New York, and a master’s degree in English from Fordham University in 1968. He studied theology at Woodstock College’s Maryland and New York campuses from 1968 to 1972 and was ordained as a priest June 12, 1971.
O’Brien first met Mary Lou Williams at the Hickory House in 1964, having corresponded with her after reading a feature on her in Time Magazine. The two quickly became close. O’Brien started working on her behalf in 1967 and officially became her manager in 1970, splitting his time between the St. Ignatius Loyola Church in New York City and his work with her, before leaving St. Ignatius to join her at Duke University in 1977.
The Mary Lou Williams Foundation was incorporated February 25, 1980 with O’Brien, Williams, and Joyce Breach as its officers. After Williams’s death, May 8, 1981, and Breach’s resignation, O’Brien became its Executive Director and sole permanent employee. During that time he expanded the Foundation’s mandate from “advanc[ing the] public knowledge of the art of jazz... to children between the ages of 6 and 12” to include furthering Williams’s own legacy. During his time at the Foundation he spearheaded multiple concert performances of Williams's music, reissued her recordings and recorded her unissued music, prepared sheet music of her compositions and arrangements, and established her archives at Rutgers University. He led the Mary Lou Williams Foundation until his death in 2015.
Concurrently with his work with Williams, O’Brien served as priest and educator. Aside from his time at St. Ignatius Loyola and Duke University, O’Brien also worked at the campus ministry at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus, Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Christ the King Retreat House in Syracuse, New York, St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, New York, St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, New Jersey, and finally at St. Peter’s University.
Arrangement
This arrangement contains 6 series:
Series 1: Correspondence
Series 2: Business Papers
Series 3: Journals, calendars, and date books
Series 4: Arts appreciation, advocacy, and management
Series 5: Photography
Series 6: Notes and correspondence
For additional and more specific information, please refer to series-level arrangement notes.
General
This collection includes items that may reflect racist, sexist, ableist, misogynistic/misogynoir, and/or xenophobic perspectives; may be discriminatory towards or exclude diverse views on sexuality, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, and nationality; and/or include graphic content of historical events such as violent death, medical procedures, crime, wars/terrorist acts, and natural disasters. These views do not represent the views, opinions, mission, values, and representations of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the Institute of Jazz Studies, and Rutgers University Libraries. They are solely present as an accurate representation of the historical record contained within this collection.
Processing Information
Series 6 is unprocessed. Materials were refoldered and reviewed for materials related to Mary Lou Williams. Where relevant, those materials were included in the Mary Lou Williams Collection (ijs.0060) or Mary Lou Williams Foundation Collection (ijs.0114). The remainder are in series 6.
- Author
- Finding aid author is Benjamin Houtman. The collection was arranged and described with assistance from Diane Biunno, Kathy Cannarozzi, Adriana Cuervo, Max Dienemann, Tad Hershorn, Herb Jordan, Angela Lawrence, Mark Lopeman, Amanda Clay Powers, Vincent Pelote, Annaliza Rodriguez-Galan, Elizabeth Surles, and Wayne Winborne.
- Date
- 2026-01-28
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Part of the Institute of Jazz Studies Repository
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