Lars W. Boe presidential papers

The Lars W. Boe Presidential papers are composed of materials related to Lars W. Boe's tenure as the fourth president of St. Olaf College along with some personal materials of Lars W. Boe. This collection includes correspondence, letters, addresses, college documents, financial records, meeting minutes, reports, advertisement, photographs, memorabilia, newspaper clippings, and personal journals.

Lars W. Boe (1875-1942) served as the fourth president of St. Olaf college. Boe graduated from St. Olaf College in 1898. After graduating from St. Olaf College, he was ordained after attending the United Lutheran Church seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 1904 he became the first president of Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, and served in that position until 1915. While he was the president of Waldorf College he also served as a pastor and was in the state legislature. From there, Boe became the executive secretary to the trustees and education board of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America in 1917.

In 1918, Boe was elected as the fourth president of St. Olaf College. Boe would serve as the President of St. Olaf College during the end of World War I and throughout World War II. Boe served as President until his death in 1942.

 

The Lars W. Boe Presidential papers collection includes correspondence, letters, addresses, college documents, financial records, memos, meeting minutes, reports, school advertisement materials, newspaper clippings, photographs personal memorabilia, personal journals, and funeral materials related to Lars W. Boe's tenure as the fourth president of St. Olaf College. This collection is divided into four different series and are titled as follows: General Correspondence and Related materials, Specific Individuals and Groups Correspondence and Related Materials, St. Olaf College School Records and Materials, and Lars W. Boe Personal Materials.

A large portion of this collection consists of correspondence regarding St. Olaf College and its dealings that was sent to and from Lars W. Boe when he was serving as president of St. Olaf College. The first series focuses on correspondence sent between Lars W. Boe and miscellaneous individuals and groups during his tenure as President of St. Olaf College. This correspondence is organized by the last names of individuals that he was in contact with. The second series focuses on correspondence sent by specific individuals and groups that Lars W. Boe regularly communicated with every year while he served as President. The third series includes correspondence that specifically deals with St. Olaf College dealings, departments, and staff. Along with this correspondence in this series are college records, college documents, financial records, meeting minutes, memorandums, and advertisement for the college.  Finally, the fourth series correspondence includes personal correspondence of Lars W. Boe. This series also includes correspondence that was sent in regards to the death and funeral of Lars W. Boe. Also included in the fourth series are some personal journals, copies of addresses, photographs, and personal memorabilia of Lars W. Boe.

 

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.