Richard D. Hershcopf disk recordings

Richard Herschopf was brought into the world of jazz music at an early age. Born and raised in Brooklyn, his mother took him to see Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall when he was about twelve years old. Through the years he developed an excellent ear and vast knowledge of jazz music, and was known for his ability to identify the tune, instrument, and musician within the first few notes. He excelled at in the public school system in Brooklyn, graduating at the age of sixteen from high school. He went on to Brooklyn College, majoring in history with plans of becoming a teacher. One semester shy of graduation, he was drafted on November, 1942. Because of his service, Brooklyn College granted him his missing credits and he received his Bachelor’s degree in June, 1943. He was honorably discharged in 1946, at which point he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning his Master’s in History in 1949. He later received a second Master’s in Library Science, in 1959. While earning his Master’s, he met his wife, Marian, who was also a graduate student and was a Holocaust escapee from Vienna. She was a fellow jazz lover and they were happily married for 66 years. He became a librarian at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and later became Head Librarian at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado in 1961. His unbelievable memory went on to serve him well as the Associate Director of Libraries at Colorado State University. He continued his work there for seventeen-years, retiring in 1985. Throughout his life he collected an impressive music library, which he left to his family. Hershcopf passed away on February 1, 2015.