Birger Swenson collection, 1928-1992
Size: 24 linear feet, 37 boxes
Acquisition: Donated by Birger Swenson in 1982.
Access: The collection is open for research and a limited amount of copies may be requested via mail.
Processed by: Christina Johansson and Bethany Bitner 2004/2005
Control Num.: SSIRC MSS P:10
Biographical note
Birger Swenson was born on July 31, 1895 in Averstad, Östra Fågelvik, Värmland to Sven and Johanna Svensson. Swenson immigrated to the United States in 1912 at the age of 17. After having worked for the Swedish-American newspaper, Gamla och Nya Hemlandet in Chicago, he moved to Rock Island, Illinois where he attended Augustana College. He received his B.A. from Augustana in 1924 and attended the Augustana Seminary in 1925 and 1926. Birger Swenson died in 1990 at the age of 94.
Birger Swenson joined the staff at Augustana Book Concern, Rock Island in 1926 as a field representative. He was promoted to field manager in 1927, a position held until 1942 when he was promoted to Sales Manager. Swenson was named general manager of the Augustana Book Concern in 1945 and stayed in that position until he retired in 1962.
Swenson was active within the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church and served as a Trustee on the Augustana Lutheran Foundation from 1930-1962; as Treasurer for the Luther League Council of the Augustana Synod from 1933-1937; as treasurer for the American Federation of Lutheran Brotherhoods 1939-1943; and as National President of the Publication Section of the International Council of Religious Education during 1950-1951.
At Augustana College, Swenson was the president for the Augustana Alumni Association 1938-1939; served as editor for the Augustana Almanac 1930-1947; was co-editor of the Augustana Annal 1948-1962; and served as a Trustee of the Augustana Annuity Trust.
After his retirement in 1962, Swenson devoted his time to numerous local organizations, such as the Augustana Historical Society, Rock Island; the Rock Island County Historical Society; and the Kiwanis. He was also active within the church and in the Swedish-American community. The Swensons also spent much time travelling around the world.
Birger Swenson was decorated a Knight of the Order of Vasa by the Swedish Government in 1951. Birger and Lyal Swenson were instrumental in the founding of the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana College in Rock Island in 1981 through a generous gift of $500,000.
Birger Swenson married Lyal Westerlund in 1943.
For further information about Birger Swenson's life see My Story: Immigrant, Executive, Traveler by Birger Swenson. Published by the Augustana Historical Society, Rock Island, Illinois, 1979.
Content
The collection includes material from Swenson's career at the Augustana Book Concern in Rock Island, Illinois, autobiographical material and an extensive slide collection from the Swensons' travels around the world.
Swenson's professional papers include Annual Reports from the Augustana Book Concern in Rock Island, Illinois 1928-1962, minutes from the Augustana Book Concern board meetings 1943-1962.There is also an extensive letter collection received by Swenson at the Augustana Book Concern. It is organized in alphabetical order by last name and cover the years 1945-1962.Other material from ABC include, clippings relating to the press and its publications.
The bulk of the personal papers contains material gathered after Swenson's retirement in 1962.The slide collections consists of several thousand slides from trips the Swensons went on around the world. Included are also minutes and other material from Swensons involvement area organizations such as the Kiwanis Club in Rock Island, the Jenny Lind Chapel Committee, and the Augustana Historical Society. Personal correspondence and extensive notes and other material from the autobiography My Story is also present in this collection.
Arrangement
The collection is divided into the following series:
Series I: Professional Career
Augustana Book Concern
Professional Correspondence
Series II: Personal Papers
Biographical material—Birger Swenson
Autobiographical Information
Correspondence
Membership in various organizations
Series III: Travels
Slides
Photos
Series I: Professional Career (boxes 1-4a)
Box 1, folders 1-9
Augustana Book Concern
Annual Reports (folders 1-7)
1. 1928-1943
2. 1944-1947
3. 1948-1951
4. 1952-1955
5. 1956-1958
6. 1959-1960
7. 1961-1962
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes (folders 8-9)
8. 1943-1951
9. 1952-1958
10. Photographs of Augustana Book Concern Board Meeting February 28, 1961, (board members identified) and photograph of Conrad Bergendoff and Birger Swenson November 16, 1974 at the unveiling of an Augustana Book Concern plaque in Sorenson Hall.
Box 2 , folders 1-10
1. Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, 1959-1962
2. Clippings & Data Augustana Book Concern, vol. 1
3. Clippings & Data , Augustana Book Concern, vol. 2
4. Dedication of new Augustana Book Concern building, 1959
5. Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, 1944-1960
6. Letters & Historical Material
7. Lutheran Companion/Inklings
8. Board of publication; Dr. Abrahamson info, and misc. material
9. Employee list; miscellaneous information
10. Publication & Resource Reports, 1889-1912; 1926-1962
Box 3, folders 1-16
Professional Correspondence Augustana Book Concern
Section 1, arranged in alphabetical order by last name.
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. E-G
5. H-J
6. K-L
7. M-N
8. O-R
9. S-T
Section 2
10. A-C
11. D-J
12. K-O
13. P-Z
International
14. A-B
15. C-G
16. H-L
Box 4, folders 1-10
International cont.
1. M-Q
2. R-S
3. T-Z
Section 4
4. ABC Board vs. A.D. Mattson
5. Board of Publication LCA
6. Gustavson, Sigurd
7. National Lutheran Manager’s Association
8. Protestant Church-Owned Publishers Association
9. Stålfors, Sture
10. Walker Hamilton Torrey
Box 4a
1. Augustana Annuity Trust
2 - 6. Minutes from meetings 1953-1978, contained in 4 folders
Autobiographical Material organized in 6 ring binders
Box 5
1. Civic Life, vol. 1
2. Augustana Lutheran Church, vol. 2
Box 6
1. Years at Augustana Book Concern 1926-1963, vol. 3
2. Years at Augustana Book Concern 1926-1963, vol. 4
Box 7
1. Years at Augustana Book Concern 1926-1963, vol. 5
2. Years at Augustana Book Concern 1926-1963, vol. 6
Series II: Personal Papers
Box 8, folders 1-12
Membership in Organizations (boxes 8-12)
1. 54th Ammunition Train
2. Augustana Alumni Association
3. Alumni Day May 16, 1984
4. American Scandinavian Association
5. American Scandinavian Association-“Current”
6. American Scandinavian Association-Historical
7. American Scandinavian Association-Minutes
8. American Swedish Historical Foundation
9. American Swedish Institute
10. Augustana College Agenda for Leadership
11. Augustana Founders
12. Augustana College
Box 9, folders 1-18
1. Augustana Historical Society
2. Augustana Historical Society-Minutes, 19?
3. Augustana Historical Society-History
4. Augustana Historical Society-History
5. Augustana Historical Society-“Current”
6. Augustana Historical Society-Publications
7. Augustana Partnership Fund 1981
8. Augustana College Scholarships
9. Augustana Swedish Institute
10. Bethany College
11. Bishop Hill Heritage Association
12. Davenport Public Museum
13. Emigrantinstitutet Växjö
14. Emigrantregistret-Sweden
15. Sigurd Gustavson, director Emigrantregistret, Karlstad
16. Emigrantregistret, Karlstad
17. Emigrantregistret letters
18. The Emigrantregister, Karlstad
Box 10, folders 1-16
1. Every Member Canvass & Stewardship Education
2. Form Letters
3. Friendship Manor Scrapbook
4. Graphic Arts Industries, Inc.
5. Härute-Out Here
6. Illinois Conference Churchmen
7. Illinois State Historical Society
8. Illinois Synod-Examining Committee
9. 1st & 2nd International Conference of Lutheran Publishers
10. The Intrepid Club-Membership
11. Intrepids-Lindblad
12. Jenny Lind Chapel Treasurer Report & Inventory
13. Jenny Lind Chapel Committee & Mailing List
14. Jenny Lind Chapel Clippings & Historical Articles
15. Jenny Lind Chapel Open Correspondence & “Current” Programs
16. Jenny Lind Chapel Postcards & Notebooks Memorial book, etc.
Box 11, folders 1-16
1. Kiwanis Club—Rock Island
2. Kiwanis History
3. Golden Kiwanis—Rock Island
4. Lutheran Church in America
5. Lutheran Church in America- Oral History Project
6. Memorial Park Cemetery-Current Reference
7. Memorial Park Cemetery-Special Reference
8. Memorial Park Cemetery-Minutes & Reports; Special Memo
9. Memorial Park Cemetery-Mausoleum
10. Memorial Park Cemetery
11. National Lutheran Managers Association-Minutes
12. New Sweden 1988—Western Illinois Conference; Glen E. Brolander, chair
13. Nytta och Nöje
14. Old Main Society Augustana
15. Protestant Church-Owned Publishers Association
16. Protestant Church-Owned Publishers Association-Minutes Executive
Committee
Box 12, folders 1-13
1. Protestant Church-Owned Publishers Association-Board Minutes
2. Publishers’ Associated Section
3. Quad Cities Color Slide Club
4. Riksföreningen Sverigekontakt
5. Rock Island County Historical Society
6. Rock Island County Historical Society
7. Swedish American Historical Society
8. Swedish Council
9. Swedish Information Service
10. Union League Club of Chicago
11. Marquis-Who’s Who
12. YMCA
13. YWCA
Box 13, folders 1-8 Personal corresp. misc.
1. Autobiographical
2. Church History Interview
3. General, misc.
4. General, misc.
5. General, misc.
6. General, misc.
7. General, misc.
8. Sympathy, Birthday, Retirement
Box 14, folders 1-6 My Story, material and research
1. Inspirations to write My Story, notes, clippings and misc.
2. My Story, introductions and reviews
3. My Story, Letters from Readers
4. My Story, Reviews
5. My Story, Cost and Sales
6. My Story, first draft
7. Biographical material – Birger Swenson
8. Photographs:
Birger and Lyal on camels in Egypt 1964
Östra Fågelvik parish church, Värmland
Dr. Conrad Bergendoff and Birger Swenson at an Augustana College Convocation June 2, 1958, at which Birger received an honorary degree from Augustana
Birger Swenson at his desk at Augustana Book Concern March, 1963
Birger Swenson, King Carl XVI Gustaf, and Dr. Conrad Bergendoff at Augustana College April 20, 1976
Series III – Travel (Albums, written accounts and slides)
Box 1
Europe & the US 1924-1949
Europe, Canada, A World Cruise, and the World’s Fair in New York 1959-1964
Box 2
Mexico, U.S., South America & Europe 1965-1967
Mediterranean 1968
Box 3
North Cape 1969
South Seas 1970
Box 4
Antarctica 1971
Antarctica 1972
Box 5
Israel 1972
Africa 1968 & 1972
Box 6
Europe 1973
Greenland 1974; Amazon 1975
Box 7
Holden Village; New England-Canada 1976
Alaska/Bering Sea 1977
Box 8
Europe 1978; 1980
China 1981
Box 9
North Cape 1982
USA-Canada 1983
Various Travel Notes and Article Clippings
Box 10
USA 1984
Fall Foliage Tour-Eastern USA & Canada 1979
Slides (contained in 21 smaller boxes)
Box 1
African safari (1968-1972)
Slides 1-400
Box 2
African safari (1968-1972)
Slides 401-458
Amazon Cruise (1975)
Slides 1-340
Box 3
Amazon Cruise (1975)
Slides 341-353
Antarctica I (1971-’72)
Slides 1-380
Box 4
Antarctica I (1971-’72)
Slides 381-548
Antarctica II (1972)
Slides 1-234
Box 5
Around the World in 88 Days (1964)
Slides 1-400
Box 6
Around the World in 88 Days (1964)
Slides 401-407
Bering Sea Cruise/Alaska (1977)
Slides 1-351
Box 7
China (1981)
Slides 1-351
England (1962)
Slides 1-40
Box 8
England (1962)
Slides 41-81
Europe (1973)
Slides 1-362
Box 9
Friendship Manor-Our Home Quad Cities (1981)
Slides 1-184
Greenland (1974)
Slides 1-220
Box 10
Greenland (1974)
Slides 221-336
Israel-A Holy Land Pilgrimage (1972)
Slides 1-275
Box 11
Mediterranean (1968)
Slides 1-393
Box 12
A Mexican Holiday (1965)
Slides 1-273
North Cape Cruise (1969)
Slides 1-120
Box 13
North Cape Cruise (1969)
Slides 121-320
North Cape Cruise (1982)
Slides 1-200
Box 14
North Cape Cruise (1982)
Slides 201-285
Oberammergan Passion Play (1969)
Slides 1-159
Scandinavia (various years combined)
Slides 1-140
Box 15
Scandinavia (various years combined)
Slides 141-540
Box 16
Scandinavia (various years combined)
Slides 541-560
South America (1966)
Slides 1-349
Box 17
South Seas Cruise (1970)
Slides 1-346
Box 18
US & Canadian Travels (various yrs)
Augustana Book Concern, Rock Island, IL (1961)
Slides 1-72
Augustana Centennial, Rock Island, IL (1960)
Slides 1-72
Eastern (New England) US & Canada (1976; 1979)
Slides 1-194
Box 19
US & Canadian Travels (various yrs)
Florida/New Orleans (1984)
Slides 1-246
Gaspe Peninsula /Quebec (1983)
Glacier Bay National Park
Slides 1-140
Box 20
US & Canadian Travels (various yrs)
Glacier Bay National Park (1983)
Gaspe Peninsula/Quebec
Slides 141-326
Holden Village (1976)
Slides 1-159
Iowa: Mt Pleasant (1973), Pella (1978), West Branch (1971)
Slides 1-57
Box 21
US & Canadian Travels (various yrs)
Michigan: Holland (1979)
Slides 1-41
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lutheran World Federation (1957)
Slides 1-70
Miscellaneous: Chicago Bus Trip (1985)
Slides 1-4
Mississippi River Cruise (1975)
Slides 1-40
Boxes 22, folders 1-10
1. Swedish-American history, general
2. Scrap book, various events, personal recognitions and activities in the Swedish press
3. Clippings on Värmland
4. Clippings – news from Swedish America
5. Clippings – news from Sweden
6. Clippings -- Swedish-American History
7. Retirement material and reference
8. Senior Citizen programs
9. Clippings – Prayers, devotional texts
10. Stories – as told by Birger Swenson
Boxes 23, 24, and 25 (oversized)
Memorabilia
