The personal archives of ten-time Tony Award honoree Tommy Tune are going to the University of Houston, where the Nine and Grand Hotel director earned a Master's of Fine Arts in 1964. The collection includes more than 50,000 costumes, scripts, design sketches, choreography notes, photos, and personal letters covering Tune's long career as an actor, artist, director, choreographer, and writer. The collection is coming to the Texas university as a gift from Tune and his sister, Gracey Tune.

The collection is being held at the institution's MD Anderson Library.

"The University of Houston felt like the natural home for it because it’s where my story truly began," says Tune in a statement. "This collection represents my life in musical theatre, and I want it to inspire the next generation of artists in the city that first inspired me."

"You don’t win nine Tony Awards in so many facets of the craft—and a 10th for Lifetime Achievement—without shaping the era itself,” adds Gracey Tune. “This collection covers every corner of his Broadway life, and many of his creations still live on stages around the world.”

After growing up in Houston, Tune impulsively joined friends road tripping to NYC. A few auditions later, and a long stage and screen career was officially begun, with Tune performing as a notably-six-foot-six-tall dancer in Baker Street; A Joyful Noise; How Now, Dow Jones; and Seesaw. That last title was also Tune's Broadway debut as an associate choreographer, working underneath the show's director-choreographer-writer Michael Bennett, who would become Tune's mentor. Tune was inspired to turn his talents to directing and choreographing, bringing such musicals as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine, Nine, My One and Only, Stepping Out, Grand Hotel, and The Will Rogers Follies to Broadway. After winning a 1974 Tony Award for his stage performance in Seesaw, Tune embarked on an incredible Tony-winning streak as a director and choreographer that saw him add eight more statuettes to his mantle. Tune also won for the choreography of A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine, the direction of Nine, his direction and stage performance in My One and Only, and both the direction and choreography of Grand Hotel and The Will Rogers Follies. A Lifetime Achievement Tony Award was bestowed on Tune in 2015.

“The University of Houston has an energy and creative spirit that matches everything this collection represents,” says Tune. “If my life’s journey can help even one young artist see a bigger future for themselves, it will be the perfect encore.”