NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOC

MEMBERSHIP: NAHA'S PRIMARY MEMBERSHIP ACTIVITIES INCLUDE HOSTING EDUCATIONAL EVENTS AND TOURS. WE ALSO PRODUCE A QUARTERLY PRINT NEWSLETTER TO INFORM AND EDUCATE MEMBERS ABOUT OUR COLLECTIONS AND TOPICS RELATED TO NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN IMMIGRATION HISTORY. IN 2024, WE HELD THREE EVENTS. IN MARCH, GUNNAR NERHEIM, UNIVERSITY OF STAVANGER PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF MODERN HISTORY, SPOKE ABOUT HIS BOOK, NORSEMEN DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS: NORWEGIAN IMMIGRANTS 1845-1900. THE FREE EVENT WAS CO-HOSTED BY NORWAY HOUSE. IN AUGUST, NAHA PARTNERED WITH ST. OLAF ALUMNI TRAVEL FOR "NORWAY: A THOUSAND YEARS OF MIGRATION." THIS 10-DAY TOUR EXPLORED HOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ON THE MOVE TO, FROM, AND WITHIN NORWAY OVER THE PAST MILLENNIUM, CHANGING THE COURSE OF TRANSATLANTIC HISTORY. BEGINNING IN STAVANGER, THE GROUP TRAVELED NORTH TO THE MIGRATION CENTERS OF BERGEN AND TRONDHEIM, WITH ADDITIONAL STOPS IN STIKLESTAD AND SNSA. IN OCTOBER, NEARLY A HUNDRED MEMBERS ENJOYED OUR BIENNIAL MEMBER MEETING AT ST. OLAF COLLEGE. THE DAY INCLUDED THREE PRESENTATIONS, A BOOK LAUNCH, A NORDIC-THEMED LUNCH, NEWS FROM NAHA LEADERSHIP, AND ELECTION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS. RECORDINGS ARE AVAILABLE OF OUR BIENNIAL PRESENTATIONS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

ARCHIVES: NAHA CONTINUES TO ACTIVELY COLLECT AND PRESERVE MATERIALS RELATED TO THE NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. IN 2024, WE HOSTED 55 VISITING RESEARCHERS FROM THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND NORWAY, TO OUR READING ROOM, WORKED WITH STUDENT INTERNS AND CLASSES AT ST. OLAF COLLEGE, DIGITIZED 17,516 PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIALS, AND WELCOMED 60 NEW DONATIONS TO OUR COLLECTIONS. WE RECEIVED A GENEROUS GRANT FOR 297,303 FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES (NEH) TO PRESERVE, DIGITIZE, AND MAKE ACCESSIBLE FIVE COLLECTIONS THAT DOCUMENT THE RELIEF EFFORTS OF NORWEGIAN-AMERICANS FOR OCCUPIED NORWAY DURING WORLD WAR II. (UNFORTUNATELY, THE FUNDING WAS RESCINDED IN APRIL OF 2025 AS PART OF DOGE FEDERAL COST-CUTTING EFFORTS.) WE RECEIVED TWO ADDITIONAL GRANTS: ONE FROM SONS OF NORWAY FOUNDATION TO DIGITIZE 274 ORAL HISTORIES AND A MINNESOTA LEGACY GRANT TO REHOUSE NAHA INSTITUTIONAL RECORDS.