Lloyd Hustvedt (April 18, 1922 – February 2, 2004) was an American professor, author, and scholar of

Norwegian-American Norwegian Americans ( nb, Norskamerikanere, nn, Norskamerikanarar) are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the ...

history.

Background

Lloyd Merlin Hustvedt was born and raised in the Sogn Valley in

Goodhue County, Minnesota Goodhue County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,582. Its county seat is Red Wing. Nearly all of Prairie Island Indian Community is within the county. Goodhue County comprises the Red Win ...

. His parents, Lars Iversen Hustvedt (1887-1973) and Mathilde Anette (Underdahl) Hustvedt (1893-1991), were children of Norwegian immigrants. Hustvedt finished his BA degree at

St. Olaf College St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American pastors and farmers led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after the King and the Patron Saint Olaf ...

with a major in

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

. He received his MA degree from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

and his

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

n studies from the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Career

In 1954, Hustvedt became a professor at

where he was later chairman of the Norwegian Department and was named the first holder of the

King Olav V Olav V (; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was the King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was the only child of King Haakon VII of Norway and Maud of Wales. He became heir apparent to the Norw ...

Professorship in Norwegian studies. In 1959, he became executive secretary of the

Norwegian-American Historical Association Norwegian-American Historical Association is a non-profit, member-supported organization dedicated to locating, collecting, preserving and interpreting the Norwegian-American experience. It publishes scholarly books and maintains a historical arc ...

, a position he would keep for four decades. He was a charter member of the Norwegian Researchers and Teachers Association of North America. He also served on the board of directors of the

Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, with over 33,000 artifacts, 12 historic buildings, and a library and archives. This treasure showcases one of the most extensive co ...

. Hustvedt was the author of numerous essays and articles relating to his field of study. He is most frequently associated with his biography of Rasmus Björn Anderson. In 1967 he was awarded the McKnight Prize in Literature by the McKnight Family Literary Fund. Hustvedt received a grant under the Fulbright-Hays Act and traveled to

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

during the summer of 1968. In 1980 he was awarded the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

, Knight First Class by

. In 1985, he was the first American to be recognized by the America-Norway Heritage Fund for his contributions to

understanding and for preserving the history of Norwegian immigrants in the United States.

Personal life

In 1954, Lloyd Hustvedt was married to Norwegian native Ester Vegan with whom he had four children including the author

Siri Hustvedt Siri Hustvedt (born February 19, 1955) is an American novelist and essayist. Hustvedt is the author of a book of poetry, seven novels, two books of essays, and several works of non-fiction. Her books include ''The Blindfold'' (1992), ''The Ench ...

Selected works

*''Norwegian Grammar Language Self Learning'' (1977) *''Rasmus Bjorn Anderson. Scandinavians in America'' (1979) *''O.A. Tveitmoe: Labor leader'' (1985)

References

External links

“Dedication of Memorial for Professor Lloyd Hustvedt”. (St Olaf College. May 27, 2006)“Lloyd Hustvedt In Memoriam”. Nortana Newsletter”“The America-Norway Heritage Fund” “McKnight Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hustvedt, Lloyd 1922 births 2004 deaths Writers from Minnesota University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni St. Olaf College alumni St. Olaf College faculty University of Minnesota alumni 20th-century American historians 20th-century American male writers People from Northfield, Minnesota American people of Norwegian descent Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal 20th-century American essayists Historians from Minnesota American male non-fiction writers