NAHA archivist records, 1982-2024

Biography/History: 
The Norwegian-American Historical Association (NAHA) was founded on October 6, 1925, in the wake of the Norse-American Centennial—a four-day celebration that became a pivotal moment of cultural identity building, balancing pride in Norwegian heritage with a growing American identity. From its inception, NAHA has been headquartered at St. Olaf College, where it remains today. Now a century old, this independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is supported by more than 1,000 members from across the United States, Canada, and Norway.

NAHA’s founders were driven by a desire to move beyond the sentimental myths and hero-worship of early immigrant narratives. They sought instead a more rigorous, scholarly approach to preserving and interpreting the Norwegian-American experience. Their vision gave rise to a remarkable archive, dedicated to capturing and protecting the lived stories of Norwegian immigrants. Among NAHA’s early leaders were influential figures such as novelist and professor O.E. Rølvaag, historian Knut Gjerset, journalist Kristian Prestgard, and academic Laurence Larson.

Central to NAHA’s mission was American historian Theodore Blegen, who became the founding editor of the Association’s publications. Blegen championed what he called a "grass-roots" approach to history—an emphasis on the everyday lives and voices of immigrants. Rather than spotlighting only the extraordinary, he focused on letters, diaries, and other primary sources to capture the experiences of ordinary men and women navigating the challenges of migration and settlement.

Since 1926, NAHA has published Norwegian-American Studies, a scholarly journal now produced in partnership with the University of Minnesota Press. The journal, along with NAHA’s robust book publishing program, highlights research in fields such as history, literature, religion, art, and cultural studies. The organization has also played a vital role in amplifying women’s ethnic history, publishing works by and about immigrant women like Aagot Raaen, Gro Svendsen, Elisabeth Koren, and Elise Waerenskjold.

NAHA is the steward of the largest archival collection of the Norwegian-American experience. In 1932, NAHA hired a young graduate student, Carlon Qualey, as its field agent. Qualey spent six weeks on the road that summer, scouring farms, churches, and towns in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois for papers related to Norwegian-American life. The documents he brought back to Northfield, combined with materials that had been collected earlier by Ole Rølvaag and Theodore Blegen, formed the foundation of the archives. The letters, ledgers, photographs, diaries, newspapers, and audio and video recordings housed here bring to life the Norwegian diaspora and its hundreds of thousands of individuals, businesses, and institutions. 

Over the past century, many individuals have served as archivists and curators at NAHA, including Ole E. Rølvaag, J. Jørgen Thompson, Beulah Folkedahl, Charlotte Jacobsen, Gary DeKray, Jeff Sauve, Kristell Benson, and Kristina Warner.

Scope and Content: 
Records of the Norwegian-American Historical Association's archives program. Related collections in the NAHA Institutional Records include: Publication Records (P1000), Secretary Records (P1001), Financial Records (P1002), and Archivist Records (P1003). See P1001, SERIES IV: Archives Contributions and Correspondence for more information on the archival program.

Funding:
Funding to rehouse and describe the NAHA institutional records provided to the Norwegian American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008. 

Processing Information:
Collection processed and described by Otelia Lighthill, Grace Peterson, and Kristina Warner.