Bing Crosby Collection

Click here to view a letter from Kathryn Crosby to the fans of Bing...

"Wing Ding for the Bing": Spokane's Met Theater to be Renamed the Bing Crosby Theater on December 8, 2006

On December 8th, there will be day long events to celebrate the name change. Starting at noon, there will be a free Bing Crosby Film Festival at the theater. Going My Way, The Road to Morocco, and White Christmas will be shown. At 7:00 p.m. the theater will be dedicated and the new sign unveiled. Civic dignitaries will be invited and participate in the event. At 8:00 p.m., Kathryn Crosby will perform her cabaret act as a fundraising event. Tickets for the fundraising show are available at the Met 227-7638 or Tickets West 1-800-325-7328.

More information on the "Wing Ding for the Bing" here... 

Bing Crosby and Gonzaga

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby graduated from Gonzaga High School in 1920 and received an honorary doctorate from Gonzaga University in 1937. Bing retained an interest and affection for his alma mater throughout his life. He contributed to the library building campaign. Through his efforts the Crosby Library was constructed and dedicated as a memorial to the Crosby family in 1957. Since the 1950s Gonzaga has received donations of Bing Crosby material from Bing, his family, friends and fans. Some of his memorabilia is on display for public viewing in the Crosbyana Room in the Crosby Student Center, the former Crosby Library.
Bing Crosby a Celebration of his Life
on the one hundredth anniversary of his birth
May 16-18, 2003
Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington
for souvenirs, visit the online store at:

Crosby Collection at Gonzaga

The collection is the largest public Crosby collection containing his 1944 Oscar for "Going My Way," gold and platinum records, trophies and awards, photographs, correspondence, newsclippings, radio disks, records and cassettes, and other memorabilia.

Original Manuscripts:
 Materials such as correspondence by Crosby, his family; friends and contemporaries such as Bob Hope, Al Rinker, Rosemary Clooney, and Frank Sinatra. Also includes materials relating to Crosby organizations, such as the Bing Crosby Historical Society.

Photographs:
 Bing, his family, friends, and contemporaries, and places associated with him: such as his boyhood home in Tacoma.

Audio-visual:
Recordings of his music, including phonograph records (33 1/3s and 78s), Compact disks, and cassettes; radio show broadcasts. Commercial copies of his movies on video tapes or laser disks;

Paintings and artwork:
 Artwork of Bing;

Books and other Secondary Material:
 Books in various editions by Crosby; and other books either about Crosby, his family, friends, and contemporary entertainers, or giving background information, such as places associated with him. Contemporaries to Crosby include Bob Hope, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, etc. Also, includes books owned by Crosby.

Newsclippings about Crosby and his family, sheet music, Bing Crosby Pro-Am Golf Programs, Scrapbooks about Crosby created by his fans.

The Library receives gift subscriptions of periodicals donated by the various Bing Crosby fan clubs, such as Club Crosby and the International Crosby Circle.

Research Material:
 Materials gathered by scholars and fans about him. This includes correspondence, research notes, manuscripts and galleys for books or other publications.

Realia:
Includes three dimensional objects relating to Crosby, such as: Bing Crosby ice cream cartons, Crosby coloring books, buttons, Crosby clothing, etc.

The University collects donations of Crosby material. Books and audio-visual formats, such as compact disks and videos, about Crosby are purchased. These materials are cataloged and are housed in the Special Collections area. Manuscript materials, periodicals of Crosby fan clubs, and realia are only received as donations. Some manuscript material is located in the University Archives as it relates to Crosby's relationship with the University.

The holdings for the book and media collection are available on the on-line catalog. The inventory to the Bing Crosby Collection is being processed. Please contact the Special Collections Department for more information.

Bing Crosby Fan Club Periodicals

The Bing Crosby Fan Club Periodicals lists the holdings of various periodicals of Crosby fan clubs from throughout the world. The library continues to receive subscriptions for two periodicals.

Bing Crosby Historical Society Collection

In 1993 Gonzaga University received the entire collection of the Bing Crosby Historical Society (BCHS) of Tacoma, Washington. This collection includes materials relating to the life and career of Bing Crosby, business files of the Bing Crosby Historical Society, as well as correspondence, newsclippings,  photographs, and Crosby memorabilia. The inventory to this collection is available to researchers. Please contact the Special Collections Department.

Bing Crosby Radio Shows

Gonzaga University has a large collection of Bing Crosby radio discs including:

  • The Bing Crosby Show : 1949 - 1954
  • Kraft Music Hall: 1943 - 1946
  • Minute Maid Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice: 1949 - 1950
  • Philco Radio Time: 1946 - 1949
  • Miscellaneous: 1936 - 1960

For a complete inventory, please contact the Special Collections Department.

For more information on Bing Crosby,

please visit the Bing Crosby Internet Museum. This site also contains a bulletin board to post queries regarding appraisal information and questions.

For more information please call or write:

Special Collections Department
Foley Center Library
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA 99258
Call (509) 323-3847 or 323-3814

email: spcoll@gonzaga.edu

Crosby's Oscar for "Going My Way," 1944