Theodor Christian Petersen Haagaas (15 June 1873, Tistedalen – 25 December 1961,

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

) was a Norwegian

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

and private school owner. He was a co-owner of

Frogner School Frogner School ( no, Frogner Høiere Almenskole and subsequently ''Frogner Realskole og Gymnas'', commonly known as ''Frogner skole'') was a secondary school at Frogner in Oslo, Norway. The school was a continuation of the Gjertsen School, which ...

and Nissen's Girls' School (1913–1918) and founder, owner and headmaster of the

Haagaas School The Haagaas School ( no, Haagaas Artiumskursus, informally also ''Haagaas skole'', ''Haagaas private gymnas'' or ''Haagaas' studentfabrikk''), or simply Haagaas, was a Private school, private Gymnasium (school), gymnasium in Oslo, that existed from ...

, a private gymnasium at Frogner,

that existed 1915–1955. He is also known for the widely used '' Haffner og Haagaas'' series of textbooks in mathematics, which was published between 1925 and 1979 in numerous editions. He received the

King's Medal of Merit in Gold The King's Medal of Merit (Norwegian: ''Kongens fortjenstmedalje'') is a Norwegian award. It was instituted in 1908 to reward meritorious achievements in the fields of art, science, business, and public service. It is divided in two classes: gold ...

in 1949.

Background

He grew up in Tistedalen outside

Frederikshald Halden (), between 1665 and 1928 known as Fredrikshald, is both a town and a municipality in Viken county, Norway. The municipality borders Sarpsborg to the northwest, Rakkestad to the north and Aremark to the east, as well as the Swedish muni ...

, where his father Theodor Christian Haagaas (1823–1899) was the managing director (1862–1892) of the sawmills of

Saugbrugsforeningen Norske Skog Saugbrugs AS is a pulp mill and paper mill located in Halden, Norway, which produces supercalender (SC) magazine paper. Located in the river Tista in Tistedalen, the mill produces 550,000 tonnes per year in three paper machines. Pulp ...

, Norway's largest timber company. His father lived at

Veden Manor Veden Manor ( no, Veden hovedgård or ''Veden gård'', also spelled ''Veen'') is a manor in Tistedalen in Halden, Norway, and a former privileged noble estate. History The manor was a privileged noble estate ('' setegård'') until the 1821 Nobi ...

in Tistedalen. Theodor Haagaas was one of the pioneers of

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

in Tistedalen around 1885–1886. He was the father of four daughters, among them

Henriette Bie Lorentzen Henriette Bie Lorentzen (18 July 1911 – 23 August 2001), born Anna Henriette Wegner Haagaas, was a Norwegian journalist, humanist, peace activist, feminist, co-founder of the Nansen Academy, resistance member and concentration camp survivor dur ...

Career

He attended the Frederikshald Gymnasium and graduated with the '' examen artium'' university entrance exam in 1891. He subsequently studied philosophy and natural sciences at the Royal Frederick University. He also served in the

Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, 3 ...

1897–1902 as a deputy intendant (

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the logistics officer corps). He was employed as a lecturer in mathematics at the private gymnasium

in Oslo in 1900, and was a co-owner of both Frogner School and its neighbour, the Nissen's Girls' School, from 1913 to 1918. He was the founder, owner and headmaster of the

, a private gymnasium in Oslo that existed from 1915 to 1955. Haagaas School was the last school in Norway in the tradition of the Heltberg School of the 19th century, offering a fast track to the ''examen artium'' (a so-called ''studentfabrikk'', "student factory"), and was described by Mosse Jørgensen as "the new Heltberg chool" According to his former pupil Harald Throne-Holst, Haagaas was characterized by a "strong and active sense of humor." He was a co-author and subsequently the sole author of the '' Haffner og Haagaas'' series of textbooks in mathematics, which was published between 1925 and 1979 in numerous editions. Upon his death he was described by ''

Aftenposten ( in the masthead; ; Norwegian for "The Evening Post") is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen) and estimated 1.2 million ...

'' as one of the most well known Norwegian educators in his lifetime.

Honours

, 1949Lektor Theodor Haagaas, er tildelt Kongens Fortjenstmedalje i gull

The Royal Court The Royal Court is a music production team formed by producer Timbaland and Solomon "King" Logan. Their first work was the single "Ice Box" by Omarion from the album '' 21'', co-produced with Timbaland. Discography 2006 Omarion - '' 21'' *"Ice B ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haagaas, Theodor 1873 births 1961 deaths Heads of schools in Norway Recipients of the King's Medal of Merit in gold University of Oslo alumni Royal Norwegian Navy personnel People from Halden Scientists from Oslo Norwegian people of Swedish descent Burials at Vestre gravlund Schoolteachers from Oslo