UC Santa Cruz, long a home to eccentric individuals, is now officially the most Dead-friendly university in the land.
According to The Wall Street Journal (no irony there), surviving members of Grateful Dead have decided to give the group’s archives to the university library in Santa Cruz, Calif., which some Silicon Valley executives hope to help turn into a mecca for scholars and the band’s fans.
The trove, to be transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz, includes photos, artwork, press clippings, posters, letters, backstage passes and other documents assembled by the band over 30 years, as well as memorabilia sent to the group by fans. It doesn’t include the Dead’s huge vault of live recordings, which still spawn new releases and generate revenue.
Roger McNamee, a Silicon Valley investor and musician, and Bill Watkins, chief executive of Seagate Technology and a longtime Deadhead, are expected to join a committee to oversee the project, which is likely to require considerable fund-raising.