From The Archives: Satchmo Plays On the Hill
Jazz legend Louis Armstrong performed at Hartwick on April 17, 1958, playing before a crowd of 900 fans at the fieldhouse (near the current location of Shineman).
Describing the College as “real lovely,” Armstrong’s visit was a memorable one.
The event is well-documented in the College Archives, which include a souvenir booklet, photographs of Armstrong attending a reception in the Commons with Mrs. M.A.F. Ritchie (wife of then-president Miller A.F. Ritchie), and a student newspaper article proudly proclaiming, “Satchmo Grants Interview to Hilltops Hack.”
Tickets to the show were $2 each, generating a $150 profit for the Student Senate.
Photo is part of the collection in Hartwick College Paul F. Cooper, Jr. Archives.
