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Norwegian-American history collection soon to be available online

By Elizabeth Child
January 24, 2004

Together, the archives of the Norwegian American Historical Association (NAHA) and the Shaw-Olson Center for College History at St. Olaf hold one of the nation's most comprehensive collections of Norwegian-American photos and documents.

Academic historians and family researchers travel worldwide to see them. Now, people are able to "Google" the collections to peruse their many treasures. NAHA and the Center for College History received a Nygaard Foundation grant in 2004 to put their Norwegian-American archives on the Web.

"We're a well-kept secret that needs to get out," said Kim Holland, NAHA's administrative director.

Applying for the two-year Nygaard Foundation grant was the brainchild of St. Olaf Archives Director and Professor of History Gary De Krey and King Olav V Chair Todd Nichol, NAHA's editor. The grant allowed the college and NAHA to digitize -- and thereby preserve -- historic photos, in addition to cataloging their files online.

By 2005, Associate Archivist Jeff Sauve, volunteers and student workers, will have cataloged and scanned 1000 linear feet of files.

Even those not interested in Norwegian American history may find the collection useful. People doing research projects on American history, not specifically Norwegian American history, have been thrilled with the breadth of the collection.

One writer looking for information on the Gold Star Mothers, who lost their sons in World War I, was able to read a diary-scrapbook of a Norwegian American mother that had been donated to NAHA. She had traveled to France in 1933 with other Gold Star mothers to visit battlegrounds and cemeteries. Her diary revealed her thoughts about the trip and contained postcards, menus from the ship and an itinerary.

An author writing a book on the birth of skiing found outstanding photography of early Norwegian-American skiers.

Overwhelmingly, the collection is tapped by people researching the history of congregations in the Upper Midwest and family historians hunting for information about relatives and the areas where they lived.

Holland believes the individuals' stories told through the collection are relevant and sociologically important today.

"The Norwegian immigrant experience mirrors the experience of today's immigrants from Mexico, Somalia and other countries," she says. "Norwegian Americans shouldn't forget what it was like to be considered a second-class citizen, not able to speak English and feeling like they don't belong."

Until the online project was complete in 2005, the archivists would gladly guide direct researchers through their collections. But doing so was becoming harder all the time. The collections has grown to tens of thousands of documents, not to mention the books, audio tapes, videotapes, CDs and DVDs.

It is fitting that the college archives and NAHA partner in the digitization project since they were one and the same until 1969, when the college began maintaining its own distinct archives. As the college diversified from its Norwegian-American roots, former St. Olaf President Sidney Rand (who died in December 2003) determined that a separate college archive was needed.

No doubt Rand's move, which preserved the integrity of both archives, would have been applauded by Ole E. R?lvaag, who was the first secretary and archivist for NAHA when it was created in 1925.

"R?lvaag saw Norwegian immigrants becoming more and more American and recognized the need to connect them with their Norwegian roots," Holland explains. R?lvaag was concerned that immigrants and their descendents were not saving documents of their Norwegian forbears, she says.

Rolvaag made up for some of the lack. His personal collection fills a hefty 80 manuscript boxes.

For more information on the St. Olaf College archives, contact Jeff Sauve at 507-646-3229 or sauve@stolaf.edu. For more information on the Norwegian American Historical Association, call 507-646-3221.

Contact Elizabeth Child at 507-645-0119 or ec@elizabethchild.com.