Antonio "Tony" Zamora

Antonio "Tony" Zamora

Lafayette - Widely described as a friend, a mentor, a legend and an icon, Tony Zamora, long time Purdue BCC Director Emeritus, passed away from cardiac arrest on the morning of Thursday, July 2, at Mulberry Health Center. He was 90 years old. For the last 14 years of his life he fought a courageous battle against Parkinson Disease.

Zamora was a strong advocate for human rights, a widely respected musician, and, along with his wife Betty, a major collector of African art. He volunteered and worked tirelessly in support of people and service organizations at Purdue University, the Greater Lafayette community, and in surrounding areas. He supported youth programs in Indiana and Illinois. In addition to encouraging young people in music he gave talks in schools about life choices.

Zamora arrived in Greater Lafayette in 1973 when he was named director of the Purdue University Black Cultural Center only three years after it was created by President Frederick Hovde. After leading the center through its early days and first location, Zamora retired in 1995 when he gained assurance from the university that a new home for the center would be built. He had worked on plans for the new building for years before its approval. One of the most distinctive architecturally significant buildings on campus, the new center was dedicated in 1999.

Black Cultural Centers on U.S. university campuses were relatively new in 1973 when Zamora arrived. The Purdue center was created to share the African American experience with all people. Its creation was proposed by students.

Among the students who found what he called a "home-away-from-home" at the center was Joe Barry Carroll who arrived on campus in 1976. He studied economics, became an All-American basketball player, led Purdue to the NCAA Tournament Final Four, and was the number one NBA draft pick in 1980. He played 10 seasons of professional basketball.

"The center Tony developed was crucial for any student of color on campus." Carroll says. "It was an oasis of nurturing. Many of us came from environments totally different from Lafayette and West Lafayette. He was always looking out for us. He knew what we were up against, and he felt like it was his purpose to help us get through everything. I would go there to study. Also, when things came up, the annual controversy around race, the challenges of people coming from different cultures, he was there for us. He would have us covered. He would talk us out of our frustrations."

At the time of Zamora's retirement in 1995 Floyd Hayes III, a Purdue Professor said, "Zamora was a jazz musician, community and university leader, institution builder, teacher, mentor/motivator and risk taker. Black Cultural Centers on University campuses, he said were new when Zamora arrived, "Without written scripts or scores, Tony employed an historical Africanist tradition of improvisation as a foundation for leading the BCC," Hayes said. "Improvising upon conventional Purdue culture, Tony embraced the University's central mission of educational excellence in developing the Black Cultural Center, emphasizing cultural creativity, risk taking and inclusiveness." The Center became a model for others around the nation.

At Purdue Zamora started the Black Voices of Inspiration, a choir that had up to one hundred members. He also created the Jahari Dance Troupe, the New Directional Players, and the Haraka Writers, in addition to hosting many lectures and programs. In 1975 he invited heavy-weight boxing champion Muhammad Ali to speak on campus. The event filled Elliott Hall of Music with 6,000 people who listened to him speak about friendship and other issues. Among others Zamora brought to campus were Maya Angelou, Julian Bond, Dick Gregory, Gwendolyn Brooks and James Baldwin.

During his tenure Zamora grew the center's library into a major collection of books, periodicals, and videos with a focus on African American culture and history. He initiated an artist-in-residence program and led an effort to create a university scholarship named for Helen Bass Williams, Purdue's first African American Professor.

Renee Thomas succeeded Zamora as director of the Black Cultural Center, a position she continues to hold today.

"I was heartbroken to learn of the passing of Mr. Zamora," Thomas says. "He was a passionate, principled and engaged leader. Mr. Zamora was instrumental in the establishment of the Black Cultural Center performing arts program. Mr. Zamora made a difference in the lives of many Purdue students. He was a man of extraordinary integrity, intelligence, wisdom, and strength. Mr. Zamora will be remembered as an authentic representation of a dedicated leader. He was a pillar in our community. His legacy will never be forgotten."

In 2019, the Black Cultural Center renamed its multipurpose room the Antonio and Betty Zamora Performing Studio.

Born on February 16, 1930, Zamora was educated in Chicago and raised by a single mother, Aldonia F. Lewis. His mother died when he was 9 years old and loving foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Dennis, raised him to adulthood.

He moved to Champaign, IL., in the 1950s and on July 16, 1959 in Champaign he married Betty Smith, who survives. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary one year ago.

A widely respected musician who played the saxophone, Zamora formed jazz bands in Champaign. He lived near the University of Illinois campus and interacted with the School of Music and with international students from Africa at the Union. With the help of Illinois students, Zamora created a program to provide free music lessons and instruments for children in the community. The local American Federation of Musicians union provided funds for instruments.

As his work became publicly known, he was asked to be director of the African American Cultural Program at the University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign. He became the second director of the program in 1970. But Zamora believed Illinois, at the time, was not committed to the program and resigned after one year.

He performed with many musicians who went on to national acclaim including Count Demon and Demons of Jazz, Bennie Tyree, Harold, Cecil, and Ronnie Bridgewater, Donald Smith, Glen Kronkite, John Dutton, Bill Parsons, George Marsh, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and percussionist Willie Komla Amoaku - who later became executive director of the National Theater of Ghana.

Upon arriving at Purdue in 1973 Zamora continued showcasing his talent with his Jazz Ensemble. He made frequent appearances at the Taste of Tippecanoe Festival, the Riverfront Jazz and Blues Festival, Purdue Convocations and the Purdue Memorial Union Summer Concerts. He was seen by many thousands of people over the years including in the Lafayette area at the Knickerbocker Tavern, the Heidelberg, the Cork and Cleaver, and the Java Roaster. He performed at community events, and many other locations.

Zamora created a series of Free Jazz Concerts for Purdue University and the surrounding community. A number of nationally famous musicians took part, including Ahmad Jamal, Phyllis Hyman, Patrice Rushen, Roy Merriweather and Freddie Hubbard.

Brent Ladiler, a Lafayette musician and owner of Brent's Bench, an instrument repair business, said Zamora was his personal mentor.

"He was very encouraging and supporting. I owe him a lot," Laidler says. "With his talent, he could have been successful in New York. He could have been a successful musician wherever his chose to play. He had a love for music and took joy in expressing it, but not as a way to make a living. You could hear Tony's love and joy for music when he played. He did for the love of it."

Joseph Boyce is a retired journalist who worked for The Wall Street Journal and Time magazine. He is also an accomplished vibraphone musician. He currently lives in Atlanta, but while living in Chicago and in New York, he would sometimes drive to Lafayette and perform with Zamora and his jazz group.

"Tony was very serious about music, an excellent musician," Boyce says. "I don't know anyone who ever played with Tony who wasn't better for the experience. There are people he groomed who are now famous. He had countless friends. He is legend. He did more for music in central Illinois and Indiana than anyone I can think of. He did more than anyone to bring good jazz to the area and to educate people about it."

Lawrence Clark, a professional drummer who lives in Indianapolis, said Zamora was "incredibly respectful. He allowed musicians he worked with to express themselves. In jazz, everyone has their own voice and not everyone allows musicians the freedom to use their own voice. Tony did. He was like my brother. When I needed advice, Tony was the first person I called."

In 2019 Zamora began publicly showing the African art he and Betty had collected during their lifetime together. In partnership with the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, the Black Cultural Center co-hosted an exhibition of their African art as part of its 50th Anniversary celebration.

Joe Barry Carroll has been named trustee of the collection. He keeps it in climate-controlled storage and is looking for more venues to display it.

On a visit to campus several years ago, Carroll called on the Zamoras at their Lafayette home. He always maintained his relationship with them after leaving campus.

"I wanted to hug and love them," Carroll says. "I had not been in their home for many years. When I got there, it was filled to the brim with their African art collection. It was everywhere. What they had was beautiful. It was immaculate. It's a remarkable collection of work."

He believed something needed to be done so people could enjoy and learn from it, leading to the exhibition at the art museum.

"Tony was a true artist and art lover," says Kendall Smith, executive director and CEO of the museum. "He and Betty spent nearly their entire married life collecting works by African and African American artists. We are so proud to have had the opportunity to exhibit many of them at the art museum in last year's 'Black American Voices' exhibit. Tony will be missed in the world of art and music."

Zamora worked with many community organizations especially those with a focus on children and education. He served three years on the United Way Board of Greater Lafayette and was a member of the Hanna Community Center's Advisory Council. He was a life member of the American Federation of Musicians, Indianapolis, Local 3.

Zamora was a charter member of the Lafayette Jazz Appreciation Hall of Fame. He received numerous awards in Indiana and Illinois for his music, community services, and support for children and education. In 2005, he received the "Citizen of the Year" Award from the Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers for his continuous service to humanity throughout Indiana communities.

He received the Purdue Special Boilermaker Award from the Alumni Association, the Sagamore of the Wabash from the Governor of Indiana, Purdue Student Union Board Honorary Lifetime Member, the NSBE Harold T. Armrine Visionary Award, the Purdue Faculty-Staff Fellow and Outstanding Administrator Award. He was a founding member of the Purdue Black Caucus of Faculty and Staff. He was presented the Golden Key National Honor Society, Iron Key Class of 1993, and the Antonio Zamora Endowment Fund to promote student leadership at the Black Cultural Center was established in his name. In October 1999, at the 30th anniversary celebration of the African American Cultural Program, Tony received the Past Directors Award for the Promotion and Maintenance of the Culture of Africans in American at the University of Illinois campus.

In 1980 the Black Cultural Center celebrated its tenth anniversary. Zamora wanted all African American alumni to return to campus for the events, but the University did not have a complete list of graduates by race through its history. So, several students went through the Debris yearbooks looking at senior photos and found about twelve hundred African American graduates. Invitations went out to all of them and about two hundred returned for a successful 3-day event. The 1980 reunion became a catalyst for the creation of the Purdue Black Alumni Organization (PBAO) as part of the Purdue Alumni Organization.

In 2019 Zamora and his wife were named Ambassadors of Jazz in the Greater Lafayette community.

Surviving with Betty is their son Mark of Urbana, IL. Also surviving are mother-in-law, Imogene Smith Wood and a favorite aunt, Thelma Smith Pealer, brother-in-law William (Charlene) Smith, of Athens, Ohio; nieces, Tesha (Lyndon) Myers, of North Andover, Massachusetts, Damona (Michael) Strautmanis, of Oak Park, Illinois, Charon (Darin) Gladfelter, of Chicago, Illinois and nephew, Damon Smith (Janine) of Silver Spring Maryland; eight great nephews and four great nieces. Zamora was preceded in death by his parents, his foster parents, a brother and a sister.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date.

Those desiring may contribute to the Purdue Black Cultural Center Antonio Zamora Endowment Fund, the Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette Zamora Fund for young musicians or charity of their choice.

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