Gary Ann Giovanni Culinary Papers,
Scope and Contents
The majority of this collection contains detailed information about the various catering jobs and "Open U" YMCA classes that Gary Ann Giovanni handled during her ten years in Blacksburg, Virginia. There is some material related to her sister Nikki Giovanni, most related to various speaking activities or awards. Other items of interest include printed menus and recipes from Giovanni's attendance at the Greenbrier's cooking school, as well as food-related ephemera (pamphlets and other media produced by various food companies or publishers).
Dates
- 1997 - 2004
Creator
- Giovanni, Gary Ann, 1940-2005 (Person)
Language of Materials
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Biographical Note
Gary Ann Giovanni was born in September 1940 in Knoxville, Tennessee and attended Central State University in Ohio. She married young, divorced, and then married Joe Black, the first African American to pitch in a World Series and had one son with him. In 1973, Giovanni graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Giovanni volunteered with Fannie Lou Hamer in delivering Christmas turkeys in Mississippi during the Civil Rights movement. She attended the California Culinary Academy, studying with master pastry chef Bo Freiburg, as well as with pastry chef Jim Dodge at the Stanford Court Hotel, chef Herbert Keller of Fleur de Lys, and many others. For five years, Giovanni owned and ran a full-service catering business in Oakland, California. Giovanni worked for SeaLand Corporation in Oakland, California until 1994 when she retired and moved with her mother to Blacksburg, Virginia, where her sister, poet Nikki Giovanni, lives. While in Blacksburg, Giovanni opened a catering business with Rebecca Isenhour which they named B.I.G.G., the acronym representing both of their initials. At the same time, Giovanni taught numerous well-received classes through the YMCA's Open University program. She studied at several of the Greenbrier's cooking workshops. In 2005, Giovanni was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She died that August in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Extent
3.5 Cubic Feet (3 boxes)
Abstract
This collection includes the papers of Gary Ann Giovanni, a chef, caterer and cooking teacher active in Blacksburg, Virginia. The collection contains records, menus, and recipes from her catering jobs and from the cooking classes she taught for the local YMCA Open University. Also includes material related to the various community organizations for which Gary worked or volunteered, and some material associated with her sister, poet Nikki Giovanni.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into five series, one of which has two subseries. Most series are ordered by subject, but the catering jobs and classes are arranged chronologically.
Series I: Family. This series contains personal information about Gary Ann Giovanni and her family. It is arranged by person.
Series II: Community Involvement. This series highlights Giovanni's community involvement in non-culinary activities. Church, sorority, and other activities are represented.
Series III: Professional Activity-Culinary. General information about professional acticity is followed by two sub-series with records of: A. Catering and B. Teaching at the Open U, each of which are arranged by date.
Series IV: Professional Activity-Non-Culinary. This small series is organized by subject.
Series V: Miscellaneous. This series contains Black culture ephemera arranged by subject.
Source of Acquisition
The Gary Ann Giovanni Culinary Papers were donated to the Special Collections in 2005.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Gary Ann Giovanni Culinary Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement and description of the Gary Ann Giovanni Culinary Papers began in May 2006 and was completed in August 2006.
Creator
- Giovanni, Gary Ann, 1940-2005 (Person)
- Title
- A Guide to the Gary Ann Giovanni Culinary Papers, 1997-2004
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Amy S. Vilelle
- Date
- 2007 (CC0 1.0)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
Revision Statements
- 2020-10-13: Finding aid notes updated to new department standards. juliags
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu