Thorbjorn N. Mohn family papers

The Thorbjorn N. Mohn family papers focuses on materials related to Thorbjorn N. Mohn, the first president of St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and his family. The collection includes letters, memorabilia, addresses, speeches, sermons, documents, genealogical materials, newspaper clippings, postcards, photographs, and portraits.

Thorbjorn N. Mohn (1844-1899) emigrated from Norway with his family and settled in Dodge County, MN. He attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He was ordained in 1873 and called in 1874 as principal of St. Olaf's School and pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church. St. Olaf School opened its doors in 1875 as a preparatory school. The school then relocated to where it is now, and in 1889 the institution was named St. Olaf College and Mohn became its first President. Thorbjorn N. Mohn was integral in the success of St. Olaf College and continued to cultivate support for the college in and around Northfield.

The Thorbjorn N. Mohn family papers collection includes letters, memorabilia, addresses, speeches, sermons, documents genealogical materials, newspaper clippings, postcards, photographs, and portraits related to Thorbjorn N. Mohn, his family, and the creation of St. Olaf College. The materials in this collection span from 1852-2011.  A large portion of this collection is composed of letters written by Thorbjorn to his family and vice versa. These letters include the courtship of Thorbjorn to his future wife Anna E. Ringstad. A portion of the letters within the collection are written in Norwegian, but many of them have been transcribed and translated to English. Along with the correspondence, there are materials related to Thorbjorn himself that include copies of his speeches, addresses, and sermons that he gave. There are also memorabilia items and genealogical research related to Thorbjorn's children and his extended family. Two boxes within the collection include photographs, portraits, daguerreotypes, and photo albums of Thorbjorn, Anne E. Mohn (Ringstad), his children, and the Mohn extended family.

The Thorbjorn N. Mohn family papers also includes materials related to the creation of St. Olaf College. There are articles of incorporation for St. Olaf College and the documents that focus on the founding of St. Olaf College.

The processing and cataloging of this collection was financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.