Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture > Video Oral History Gallery

Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc.

Louis Armstrong's death on 6 July 1971 created waves of mourning over the entire world. His playing, his singing and his joyful persona were known in every corner of the globe. From fans behind the Iron Curtain to European royalty. From the smallest African village to virtually every man, woman and child in the United States.

In 1974, at the behest of the United States State Department, and in response to requests from behind the Iron Curtain, Lucille Armstrong embarked on a government-sponsored tour of Hugary, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Poland, conducting a program of slides, films and music tapes highlighting her late husband's life. She left albums, books and other memorobilia to schools and embassy libraries.

Lucille Armstorng died in 1983 and left her estate and assets to the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, with the request that their house be given to the City of New York.

The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc., founded in 1969, is dedicated to:

  • fostering programs, workshops and lectures on music history.
  • assisting and contributing to programs and events for education in music by organizations such as schools and libraries.
  • spnsoring programs at all school levels that aid the students in developing musical skills.
  • participating in scholarships, student exchanges and grants.

The Foundation contributes to and supports the following:

  • Queens College with annual grants for the maintenance of the Louis Armstrong home in Corona, Queens--a National Landmark--and to preserve the house as a memorial to Sachmo.
  • The Louis Armstrong Schools in Queens, Public School 143 and Intermediate School 227, for musical education, jazz workshops and the school libraries.
  • Brandeis University in Massachusettes for an annual jazz concert and education in music.
  • The ASCAP Foundation for programs, including seminars, talent contests and workshops, supervised by musicians such as Dr. Billy Taylor.
  • Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture with a gift to establish an extensive audio and visual library of interviews and performances of jazz musicians interpreting their own work.