St. Olaf College Press records, 1943-1988

St. Olaf College Press records, 1943-1988

P1616

1943-1988

Memoranda, contracts, inventories, minutes, etc. regarding a publication enterprise uner the auspices of St. Olaf College. These papers were contributed by Lloyd Hustvedt, who in the latter days was one of the faculty most active in promoting the pres, and are being added to the NAHA collection (rather than being given to the College Archives) at his request. In a memo of October 13, 1988, Hustvedt outlines the history of the press: "I'm not sure exactly when the St. Olaf College Pres came into existence. It dates back to O.E. Rolvaag and must b e seen as a parcel of his many efforts to elevate standards at St. Olaf. The first publication was Ibsen Studies, (1934) by Eikeland. Then must have come Ormkring Faedrearven (1922) by Rolvaag. Two college histories, Benson (1949) and Shaw (1974) have been published by the press, as was "As it was in the Beginning" by Mrs. Hegland (1950)." Holmquiest, Manual of examinations (1958). J. Jorgen Thompson, sponsored Kaare Holt's Hurra in 1948. Robert Bjerke's 15 Modern Norwegian Stories, (1971). Proceeding of the Rolvaag Seminar (1976) and of the conference Scandinavians in Urban America (1984) were published with outside funds. Hustvedt's Norwegian Grammar: Self Learning, published in an edition of 5,000 copies, "may have accrued more income than any other work." "Theodore Jorgenson nearly made (the press) into a private publishing house" with two Ibsen translations, School dictionary, Norway's Relations to Scandinavian Unionism, The Trumpet of Nordland, and his commentary on Ibsen's plays. "As I understand it, the press was seen as a rotating fund (which) would publish works deemed worthy but not acceptable to other publishing firms because of small volume, The Norwegian department has been much helped."

1 folder

English

Contracts

Documents