Kenneth O. Bjork papers, 1935-1997

Biography/History: 
Kenneth O. Bjork (July 19, 1909–August 11, 1991) was an American historian, professor, and author best known for his scholarship on Norwegian-American history. Born in Enderlin, North Dakota, to parents who were children of Norwegian immigrants, Bjork grew up in a bilingual household where Bokmål was spoken. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from St. Olaf College in 1930, pursued graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and completed study tours in Europe before receiving his PhD in 1935. His doctoral dissertation examined Anglo-German diplomatic relations during the Bismarck era, laying the foundation for a career in European and migration history.

Bjork taught briefly at the University of Montana before joining the faculty of St. Olaf College in 1937, where he became a professor in 1944 and remained until his retirement in 1974, also chairing the history department for twenty-five years. A two-year sabbatical in Kenya (1965–67) saw him serve as senior representative of the Rockefeller Foundation, helping establish the Humanities Division at University College, Nairobi, and expanding his expertise into African history. From 1960 to 1980, he served as managing editor for publications of the Norwegian-American Historical Association. Bjork authored influential works, including Saga in Steel and Concrete (1947) and West of the Great Divide (1958), was appointed Knight First Class of the Order of St. Olav in 1962, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Oslo in 1976, and was later honored by the establishment of the Kenneth O. Bjork Distinguished Professor chair at St. Olaf College.

Scope and Content: 
Correspondence, book reviews, speeches, offprints of articles, and personal financial papers of a professor of history at St. Olaf College and NAHA editor, 1960-1980.