What's New
Original cartoon art on display
 "My Beloved Cartoonists: Original Cartoon Art from Fred Waring's America" is on display May 5–August 8, 2008, in Pattee Library, main exhibit hall. The cartoons, comic strips and illustrations from the Waring collection, are part of the Special Collections Library, Penn State's University Libraries.
Fred Waring, band leader, music publisher, entrepreneur, distinguished Penn State alumnus and personification of patriotism, whose legendary show choir and orchestra, The Pennsylvanians, dominated the Big Band era, was also a lifelong reader of newspaper comic strips and an admirer of the artists who created them.
The Sunday following his death, a strip by cartoonist and close friend, Milt Caniff, ran in the newspapers that opened with the line, "You knew Fred Waring as the famous orchestra and choral leader who thrilled people for years as he and his Pennsylvanians interpreted the world's music. You probably were not aware that Fred was one of the foremost newspaper cartoon buffs and collectors. On tour, late editions from every city were delivered to him on the bus, so he could follow the comics—all the comics!" (more.)
Waring movies premiere in Libraries
 Two movies from Fred Waring's America Collection will premiere on Saturday, June 7, 2008, at 9:30 a.m., in Foster Auditorium, 101 Pattee Library. Varsity Show and The Alma Martyr are free to public, but seating is limited.
Warner Brothers' Varsity Show, nominated for an Academy Award for best dance dirimage from Alma Martyr filmection in 1937, stars Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians as themselves, along with a supporting cast that includes Dick Powell, Ted Healy, and Rosemary and Priscilla Lane. With music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer and Richard Whiting, the dynamic selection of songs in this lively musical includes "Old King Cole," sung by Johnnie Davis; "We're Working Our Way Through College," sung by Dick Powell; "I'm Dependable," sung by Priscilla Lane and Fred Waring and written by Tom Waring and Don Raye; "Love Is on the Air Tonight," sung by Buck and Bubbles; among others. The highlight of Varsity Show is a memorable college finale, orchestrated by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians and choreographed by Busby Berkeley. (more.)
Movie poster: VarsityShowPoster08.pdf
Waring's Pennsylvanians reunite in California
Singers from Fred Waring's world-renowned choir, the Pennsylvanians, recently held their first West Coast reunion in 20 years, at the Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Church, in California.
Waring's widow, Virginia, a classical pianist who leads the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition, was honored at the event. Waring, 92, a native Californian, was a concert pianist who studied in Paris with Robert Casadesus and toured for 10 years as the Morley half of the famed duo-pianists Morley and Gearhart. She led the choir before Waring's death in 1984 and wrote his biography, Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians: Music in American Life.
Waring, known as "the man who taught America how to sing," was a famous choral leader, showman, glee club pioneer, golf tournament host, and entrepreneur who held together a major musical organization for 67 years. Thirty members of the group appeared from all over the country for the weekend event. Attendees spanned the generations and included, among others, Patsy Garrett, who introduced the Cole Porter standard, “Begin the Beguine” with the Pennsylvanians on radio in 1939, Keith and Svlvia Textor, featured singers on the 1950s Fred Waring TV Show and John Stanley King, a Palm Desert favorite local musician.
This reunion was the first performance of the Pennsylvanians on the West Coast since a 1988 appearance at the just-opened McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, which Waring was instrumental in founding. The concerts included video clips from Waring's 1950 TV show, solo performances and two numbers conducted by Virginia Waring.
For more information contact Eileen Akin at Fred Waring's America 814-863-2911.
Virginia Waring conducting the Pennsylvanians at the Palm Desert Reunion.
September 2007 – Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians – A Musical History –
coming soon to a public radio station near you!
Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians: A Musical History, will air on WPSU-FM
Join host Erik Jester for a one hour trip down memory lane to hear the music and stories of Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. Fred Waring is an American musical legend known as ‘the man who taught American how to sing,’ and ‘America’s Singing Master.” This one hour radio documentary tells the story of his incredible musical organization, the Pennsylvanians, entertaining audiences for almost seven decades - from the 1920s through the 1980s.
Along the way, they were pioneers in vaudeville, radio, movies, concert stages, television, recordings and music education. In this one hour tribute you’ll hear the group’s earliest Victor recordings, when they were one of the hottest collegiate jazz bands on the vaudeville circuit, selections from the Ford and Chesterfield Shows in the 1930s and 40s when they were the premiere radio band, songs from the historic, award winning 1950s General Electric sponsored Fred Waring Television Show, and many others.
Whether you remember tuning in to hear Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians on radio in the 1940s, seeing them on television in the 1950s, attending one of their concerts in the 1960s or 1970s, or you are hearing them for the very first time, this one hour program highlighting their timeless music and classic all-American 20th century story is sure to inspire and delight listeners of all ages.
The documentary was produced by Peter Kiefer and Eileen Akin of Fred Waring’s America, in collaboration with Steve Shipman of WPSU-FM.
September 2007 - Boal Theater Stages ‘Fred Waring Show’
The "Fred Waring Radio Show," a scripted re-creation of a 1940s radio program will be performed live at the State College Community Theatre, Boal Barn, September 5-7, September 9 and September 12-15.
The "Fred Waring Radio Show" will consist of three programs rolled into one two-hour show. This tribute to Fred Waring is modeled after his popular 1940s Chesterfield Pleasure Time radio show which aired every night, Monday through Friday from 7:00-7:15 p.m. on the East Coast and again from 11:00-11:15 p.m., for the West Coast. A recreation of the musically packed, energetic radio program, the tribute show will consist of an east coast show, an in-between show, and a West Coast show. The in-between‚ show will be a Varsity Showcase‚ featuring top singers, ensembles and acts being considered for the Fred Waring radio show.
The "Fred Waring Radio Show" is a production of the Center for the Study of Free  Institutions and Civic Education (FICE Center), part of the College of Education at Penn State. The producer of the show is David Saxe, associate professor of education and the director of the center. The FICE Center offers opportunities to study, research and discuss Western civilization, free institutions and American heritage. In addition to classes and programs, FICE activities will include symposia, educational and research programs, celebrations and performances, and publications. The center will provide outreach to schools, businesses, alumni and private organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies.
Famous band leader, choral conductor and showman, known as "The Man Who Taught America How To Sing," Fred Waring was a megastar throughout the 1930s and 40s who had produced dozens of Top 10 hits with his orchestra and hosted a series of nationally broadcast radio shows. His group was considered the premiere radio band of the day and it was through radio that Fred Waring became a household name.
Fred Waring and his group "The Pennsylvanians" made their debut on radio in 1933 with a weekly CBS show sponsored by Old Gold Cigarettes. Then in 1934 the Ford Dealers of America sponsored a twice weekly show. Starting in June of 1939, they went on the air with the Chesterfield Pleasure Time Show every night, five days a week, all 52 weeks of the year, for the next six years.
To research and prepare for this production, FICE center members are studying the original Fred Waring radio broadcast recordings, radio scripts, photographs, memorabilia and other materials that are part of the Fred Waring's America collection.
August 2007 –Blair County Arts Hall of Fame for Waring
The late Fred Waring, a Tyrone, Pennsylvania native, has been selected to the Blair County Arts Hall of Fame and will be installed in the Performing Arts category at an awards ceremony to be held at the Mishler Theatre, in Altoona, on Thursday, August 30, at 6:30 pm.
The Blair County Arts Hall of Fame was established in 2002, with the first induction ceremony taking place in September of 2003. Their mission is to honor local artists, educators, and patrons of the arts, create an awareness of regional talent and inspire and encourage the community to participate and support the arts in Blair County.
The Altoona Heritage Discovery Center hopes to one day permanently house an exhibit on the Hall of Fame.
July 2007- Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians New in Paperback
Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, an intimate portrait of an American legend known as “The man who taught America how to sing” is now available in paperback. The biography is accomp anied by a compact disc with twenty-eight selections recorded by the Pennsylvanians over a forty-year period. Highlights include Adam Geibel and Tom Waring’s “Sleep,” recorded in 1928; Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale;” Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach’s “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes;” the traditional “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” and “Dry Bones;” Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s “September Song;” and Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Some Enchanted Evening.”
Written by Virginia Waring, his wife of thirty years, the book chronicles both his many achievements and his shortcomings with candor and affection. Her gracefully written biography traces Waring’s childhood in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, his rise to fame as a bandleader, the development and promotion of the Waring Blendor, leadership of Shawnee Press, concert tours, radio and television programs, and his legacy in music and popular culture.
The newly available paperback edition of the book, first published in 1997, is available from the University of Illinois Press and can be ordered by calling 800-621-2736 or by sending an e-mail. (Paper, ISBN: 978-0-252-07444-8 $29.95 464 pages).
June 2007 - Rare footage from Waring Archives used in Les Paul documentary
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
The producers of a 90-minute documentary on the life and work of the Les Paul, are using several excerpts from a historical film owned by the Fred Waring Collection, known as Fred Waring's America. The film about Paul, known as the "godfather of the electric guitar" and inventor of multi-track recording, will premiere nationally July 11 on PBS's "American Masters." "Les Paul: Chasing Sound" will air at 9 p.m. July 11 on the local public television station WPSU.
The producers of the documentary, Paulson Productions, are using several excerpts from "Chesterfield Pleasure Time," a short promotional film made in 1940 highlighting one of the most popular daily radio programs of the time.
The excerpts from "Chesterfield Pleasure Time" being used by the filmmakers feature the Les Paul Trio, who were hired by Waring to perform on his popular radio program. The producers of the documentary contacted the Waring collection looking for photographs, recordings and film footage that documented the time the Les Paul Trio worked for Waring. After viewing the film made about the Chesterfield show, producer Jim Arntz said, "The film is so charming. Wish we could just run the whole thing."
Famous bandleader, choral conductor and showman, Waring was a megastar throughout the '30s and '40s who had produced dozens of Top 10 hits with his orchestra and hosted a series of nationally broadcast radio shows. His group was considered the premiere radio band of the day. Waring and his group the Pennsylvanians made their debut on radio in 1933 with a weekly CBS show. Starting in June 1939 they went on the air with the "Chesterfield Pleasure Time Show" five nights a week, for the next six years.
Paul, a country musician from Waukesha, Wis., and his bandmates Ernie Newton and Jimmy Atkins were hired by Waring in 1939 as featured performers for the "Chesterfield Pleasure Time Radio Show. "Very few people had heard the sound of an electric guitar in those days, and combined with the smooth, low voice of Atkins and unique brush-bass playing of Newton, the Les Paul Trio had a unique sound.
Newly digitized 'Waring's Pennsylvanians' available online
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Waring's Pennsylvanians
The recently restored and digitized 1927 film short, "Waring's Pennsylvanians (No. 428)," has been made available  online. This is the first time the sound and picture have been merged as one synchronized program.
The original version was made using the Vitaphone film process, an early sound-on-disc process used for films produced by Warner Brothers from 1926 to 1930. "Waring's Pennsylvanians" features world-renowned band leader Fred Waring and his early all-male group perform at the height of the jazz age when they were considered the hottest "collegiate" band on the vaudeville circuit.
The revived film with merged audio and video premiered June 2 at Penn State, where the vast collection of Fred Waring's memorabilia and musical archives are housed. WPSU-TV, Penn State Public Broadcasting, partnered with the Fred Waring Collection, known as Fred Waring's America, to restore this historic film. WPSU and Fred Waring's America plan to collaborate on the restoration of other early film and television programs owned by this special collection housed at University Libraries.
Waring, a native of central Pennsylvania and Penn State alumnus, known as "The Man Who Taught America How To Sing," entertained the world on stage, radio, television and in motion pictures for nearly 70 years. Fred Waring's America, part of the University Libraries Special Collection unit, is located on the third floor of Penn State's Pattee Library and reflects Fred Waring's career as band leader, choral conductor, glee club pioneer, music educator and entrepreneur.
This treasure of 20th-century culture includes a musical library containing more than 6,000 musical scores along with choral and instrumental parts; more than 25,000 radio, television and concert recordings; 30,000 photographs and historical memorabilia including the Waring Blendor, developed and marketed by Fred Waring. In addition, the collection houses more than 600 pieces of original cartoon art created for and often about Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, by leading cartoonists such as Mort Walker ("Beetle Bailey"), Chester Gould ("Dick Tracy"), Milt Caniff ("Terry and the Pirates") and Hal Foster ("Prince Valiant"), to name just a few.
For the In Motion video exploring Fred Waring's America at Penn State, visit us online.
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