Theodore C. Blegen Correspondence

JUN 11 1926

ST. OLAF COLLEGE NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA

O. E. RÖLVAAG DEPARTMENT OF NORWEGIAN

June 9, 1926

Dr. Theo C. Blegen Minn. Hist. Society St. Paul, Minn.

My dear Doctor Blegen:

I am sure you are very busy these days with so many irons in the fire at the same time.

I saw your letter to Dean Thompson relative to our first publication. The contents certainly look good.

In my opinion we should be very liberal with review copies. I think you can better judge than I as to what newspapers and magazines should get review copies. But I would suggest that a few representative dailies in the East, the Middle West, and on the West Coast should get copies. Likewise all leading magazines having a review department. You know much more about the historical publications than I do; hence, your judgement is better. I imagine that the following Norwegian papers in America

ST. OLAF COLLEGE NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA

O. E. RÖLVAAG DEPARTMENT OF NORWEGIAN

should get copies: "Nordisk Tidende", Brooklyn; "Skandinaven", Chicago; "Reform," Eau Claire, Wisconsin, "Minneapolis Tidende", "The Lutheran Church Herald," "Familens Magazine," "Visergutten", Canton, S. Dak. "Nordmanden", Grand Forks; Washington Posten", Seattle, Washington.

I don't know just how many, or to whom, we ought to send in Norway.

I don't know that we ought to place the book on sale in book stores. There wouldn't be much of a sale anyway, and furthermore, we shall need all we have for the future. As members join they will want a complete list of publications; it certainly would be too bad if we couldn't supply them.

During the whole semester I have wanted to come up and talk things over with you, but have simply not had time. I have been teaching sixteen hour per week, eleven of which are lectures, and have had a number of other things to look after and worry about. -- Will you be in St. Paul during the summer?

Sincerely

O. E. Rölvaag

Minnesota Historical Society SAINT PAUL

SOLON J. BUCK Superintendent

THEODORE C. BLEGEN Assistant Superintendent

June 11, 1926

Prof. O. E. Rölvaag St. Olaf College Northfield, Minnesota

My dear Professor Rölvaag:--

I appreciate very much your kind letter of June 9 and I have noted very carefully the valuable suggestions that you make with reference to the sending of review copies. Perhaps the best plan for handling the whole business of sending out copies would be for you to give me the complete mailing list of the Association, which I will turn over to the printer. You might wait with this for a few days so that we can be entirely up to date with the list. I will write you again when the book is within two or three days of publication.

With reference to the sending of copies to Norway, perhaps that might rest until the balance of the books are sent to you. Shall I have all the books not mailed out from the printer's shipped to you at St. Olaf College?

On the matter of the sale of the book in bookstores, I think the views suggested by you and Professor Thompson are probably sound. I have not given it much thought and I haven't the slightest idea as to whether there would be any particular demand for it.

By the way, would it be your intention to supply incoming members with the book without extra charge? I raise this question because in our own society here it is the custom to put members on the mailing list for current publications and to let them buy copies of back publications at a special members' price.

I want very much to have a talk with you at your earliest convenience. There are several questions with reference to publication work on which I want your advice. Can you not plan to drop in and see me when next you visit the Twin Cities?

Sincerely yours

Theodore C. Blegen

TCB/B

JUN 24 1926

The Norwegian-American Historical Association

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Northfield, Minn.

Executive Board

REV. D. G. RISTAD, President, Manitowoc, Wis.

DR. L. M. LARSEN, Vice President, Urbana, Ill.

PROF. O. E. RÖLVAAG, Secretary, Northfield, Minn.

HON. O. M. OLESON, Treasurer, Ft. Dodge, Iowa.

MAJOR BIRGER OSLAND, Assistant Treasurer, 134 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, Ill.

MR. A. C. FLOAN, 442 Summit Ave., St. Paul, Minn.

DR. KNUT GJERSET, Decorah, Iowa.

Board of Finance

HON. O. M. OLESON,

MAJOR BIRGER OSLAND,

DR. T. STABO, Decorah, Iowa,

MR. A. C. FLOAN,

DEAN J. JÖRGEN THOMPSON, Financial Secretary, Northfield, Minn.

Board of Editors

DR. THEO. C. BLEGEN, Managing Editor, Minn. State Historical Society, St. Paul, Minn.

KRISTIAN PRESTGARD, Editor, "Decorah Posten," Decorah, Iowa.

DR. KNUT GJERSET, Decorah, Iowa.

Local Vice Presidents

DR. E. NYMAN FIGVED, Boston, Mass.

A. N. RYGG, Publisher, "Nordisk Tidende," New York City.

CONSUL M. MOE, Philadelphia, Pa.

MRS. OAKLEY KISSAM BROWN, Chicago, Ill.

PROF. C. MARTIN ALSAGER, Chicago, Ill.

REV. H. J. THORPE, Milwaukee, Wis.

COL. CHR. BRANDT, Decorah, Iowa.

DR. G. T. LEE, Editor, "Lutheran Church Herald," Minneapolis, Minn.

JOHN NORNBORG, Duluth, Minn.

REV. JOHN BROWN, President, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.

HANS USTRUD, Baltic, S. D.

MRS. FRIDA BUE-HOMNES, Crosby, N. D.

GUNNAR LUND, Publisher, "Washington Posten," Seattle, Wash.

June 27, 1926.

My dear Doctor Blegen:

The day I saw you last I had a fever of 101. Since I have been in bed. It's pleurisy. But I am going to get over it.

I'm sending the addresses of [North?] Am. publications that should get review copies. But I have not the addresses of the two papers in Canada.

Sincerely

O. E. Rölvaag

[1926, c. June]

My dear Professor Rölvaag,

A few copies of STUDIES AND RECORDS have just come from press. One goes to you immediately.

I shall have a printed card inserted in the books, like this:

NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

STUDIES AND RECORDS

Volume 1

Distributed free to all members of the Association

Price to nonmembers -- $2.00

Review copies go out to:

Yale Review

Current History

Iowa Journal of History and Politics

Wisconsin Magazine of History

American Historical Review

American Scand. Review

Mississippi Valley Historical Review

The Nation

The Bookman

The Forum

The New Republic

Saturday Review of Literature

Books (Stuart P. Sherman)

New York Times

Chicago Tribune

Chicago Daily News

St. Paul Pioneer Press

Mpls. Tribune

Mpls. Journal

Nordisk Tidende

Norgesposten

Scandia

Skandinaven

Reform

Decorah Posten

Fremad

Visergutten

Folkebladet

Lutheran Church Herald