Sophocles Papas (1894-1986) was an internationally known teacher and scholar of the classical guitar. A Fairfax County resident later in his life, Papas taught in a Washington, D.C. studio for more than sixty years. He also taught instumental music on the staff of American University in Washington, D.C. One of his former students who has risen to fame is Charlie Byrd .

Papas was a prominent figure in the Washington music scene for much of his life. He performed live on radio regularly on WCAP and was a close friend to music legends, Andres Segovia and Carlos Montoya. Papas organized and conducted Washington's first guitar/mandolin/banjo orchestra, and founded the Washington Guitar Society. A prolific writer and publisher, Papas produced articles for scholarly music journals; wrote a column for the music magazine Crescendo; and founded Columbia Music Company, a publisher of sheet music and instructional methods for the guitar. Most notable among his publications is Method for the Classic Guitar.

Research materials in the Papas Music Collection include:

• Printed sheet music
• Manuscripts for classical guitar
• Lessons, exercises, and etudes for guitar students
• Periodicals such as Guitar Review and Soundboard
• Publications of Columbia Music Company
• Publications of the Washington Guitar Society
• Personal date and address books belonging to Sophocles Papas
• Books from Sophocles Papas' personal library
• Biographical materials
• Newspaper and magazine clippings about Papas

For additional information on the Papas Collection, please refer to the Finding Aid that is in the Special Collections & Archives (SC&A) reading room. SC&A staff is always willing to assist researchers.

Special Collections & Archives preserves and makes available to all students, faculty, and researchers many kinds of original and scholarly materials. Subject areas in SC&A include Northern Virginiana, Planned Communities, Congressional Papers, Performing Arts, Maps, the Civil War, and George Mason University. Formats in SC&A include manuscripts, rare books, playbills, musical scores, audio and videotapes, architectural drawings, photographs, and slides.