Eugene E. Grissom Collection

Eugene E. Grissom (1922-2009), a Professor Emeritus of Fine Arts at the University of Florida (retiring in 1987 after 34 years at UF), was also a professional musician and benefactor of the arts. Grissom served as the chairman of the UF Department of Art from 1962 until 1978 increasing the emphasis of creative photography as an important studio major at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as establishing the Print Collection in the Department of Art as an integral part of the art history program. A collector of fine prints himself, Gene Grissom also exhibited as a printmaker (studying under the world renown printmaker Maurice Lasansky at the University of Iowa) and he also designed the official logo for the International Federation of Jazz Societies, posters for the Gainesville (Florida) Friends of Jazz, Inc., and logos for the Frank Rosolino Memorial Fund. Eugene Grissom made gifts of prints and photographs from his private collection to such institutions as Princeton University, the University of Iowa, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the University of Arizona, Emporia State University in Kansas and to the University of Florida. Mr. Grissom performed with the Gainesville Jazz Ensemble, the New Gainesville Jazz Orchestra, was a member of the Trombone Quartet and Trio and was a charter member of the Weekend Warriors with the International Trombone Association which performed annually at the International Trombone Workshop. He was active in symphony orchestras and small brass chamber groups at Kansas State Teacher's College / Emporia, KS, the University of Iowa, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Florida, as well as traveling with stage and dance bands (Frankie Trumbauer, Horace Heidt, Wayne McFadin and Art Kassell). He was a founding member and contributing sponsor to the Frank Rosolino Memorial Scholarship for jazz trombone with the International Trombone Association (1979-2002), established the not for profit Frank Rosolino Memorial Fund with NY jazz trombonist Conrad Herwig in 1994 and was its executive director 1994-2004. Also in 1994, he and his wife, Nancy, established the Grissom/Rosolino Trombone Award for the University of Florida School of Music in the College of Fine Arts. Research included ANTONIO POLLAIUOLO AND THE BATTLE OF THE NUDES AS A TREATISE OF HUMAN ANATOMY, the history of the trombone as depicted in the prints and drawings of the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe, exploration between new music notation systems and contemporary drawing marks, drawing workshops of the early 15th century in Italy, the contributions to music and performance of trombonist Abe Lincoln, and the biography and recording discography of jazz trombonist Frank Rosolino, as well as discography's of other jazz musicians. Publications include FOND MEMORIES OF FRANK ROSOLINO co-authored with NY trombonist Conrad Herwig and contributions to THE BASIX DISCOGRAPHY OF FRANK ROSOLINO by Roberto Machado, and the biographies of Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald by Dr. James Haskins.