Papers of Walter Schussler Heebner (1917-2002), professional musician, composer, and songwriter, and executive at RCA Records and Capitol Records.

Walter Heebner was born in 1917, and began his career as a professional musician at age 13, playing saxophone several nights a week in ballrooms. Graduating with honors from Temple University in 1938, he studied pre-law at The University of Pennsylvania before his musical talents became his main focus. In 1940, he began working in sales at RCA Victor in New York, before joining the army during World War II. While enlisted, Heebner produced V-Disc recordings for the Armed Services, and after the war he returned to RCA to become the Artist and Repertoire Director at their Hollywood headquarters. In 1950, he left to become the producer of the radio program "The Spade Cooley Show," on KCLA. Cooley was a popular western-swing artist and television star at the time. Several years later, he left and returned to New York to create a music library for Capitol Records, and also began composing music while serving as producer for many high-profile artists of his day, including Frank Sinatra, Shirley Temple, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Roy Rogers. In 1962 he acquired the Welte Piano Roll Masters, and began reproducing these recordings using contemporary methods, resulting in a vibrant quality.

26.52 linear feet (3 cartons, 1 half-size document box, 1 document box, 2 flat boxes, 2 oversize flat boxes, 282 open reel tapes)

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.

The collection is open for research.