It appears that the Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) Modern Jazz Society was formed around 1955, but it is unclear how long it lasted (at least until 1962). According to the group's constitution, the purpose of the club was to "promote the principles of friendship and brotherhood among students at the Rochester Institute of Technology and among the general public, by fostering and encouraging an understanding, appreciation, and interest in jazz musicians and jazz music and all its aspects." The club sponsored its first name act on October 31, 1957, with a concert by the Ron Collier Quintet in the Ritter-Clark gym. By the early 1960s, the club had sponsored campus concerts by Oscar Peterson, J.J. Johnson, Chico Hamilton, Art Blakely, and Maynard Ferguson.
From the description of RIT Modern Jazz Society constitution, circa 1957. (RIT Library). WorldCat record id: 765450923
