Located in the historic Stephen Foster Memorial building at the University of Pittsburgh, the Center for American Music is dedicated to conserving, expanding, and documenting knowledge of American music and its role in American life.

As part of Archives & Special Collections in the University Library System, the Center has a library, archive, and museum collection of more than 50,000 items from the nineteenth century through the present.

The Center’s Foster Hall Collection, the principal repository for materials pertaining to the composer Stephen Collins Foster, was the first research center for American music established at an institution of higher education. Each year we support new research through our research and travel grant.

We regularly work with researchers, community groups, schools, media outlets, performing ensembles, scholarly organizations, libraries, and museums to provide research support, public programs, and educational materials.

Our collections include:

• Foster Hall Collection (for research on Stephen C. Foster)
• Bing Crosby Collection
• Dave Burrell Archive
• Charles Henry Pace and Frankie M. Pace Gospel Music Archive
• Ethelbert Nevin Archive
• Joe Negri Archive
• Robert Schmertz Archive
• Adolph M. Foerster Archive

For more information about research or teaching support, including in-person and virtual museum visits, please contact Kathryn Miller Haines, Head of the Center, at kmill@pitt.edu.

To join our mailing list, report errors, or inquire about upcoming workshop opportunities please email us.