ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

VILHJALMUR STEFANSSON PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL #81

DATES: 1919-1980

SIZE: 2 folders

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Vilhjalmur Stefansson Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by J. Lloyd Stone, UND Alumni Association. The acquisition records are unavailable.

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Vilhjalmur Stefansson was born on November 3, 1879 in Arnes, Manitoba, Canada. His family moved to a farm near Mountain, North Dakota when Stefansson was 18 months old. He attended the University of North Dakota from 1897-1902. He was voted the best orator of the university in 1900, and also worked for the school newspaper. He was "suspended" from UND in 1902 for failure "to attend his duties." He applied for reinstatement, but this request was turned down. Well known on campus as a prankster, his dismissal caused such an uproar that he was escorted to the train depot by well wishers. All was forgiven by 1930, as he was reinstated and awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, only the third such degree awarded by UND at the time.

After leaving UND, he transferred to the University of Iowa and graduated in June 1903 with a degree from the School of Liberal Arts. He next enrolled at Harvard, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in 1906.

Stefansson lived among the Eskimos from 1906-1907, in the process becoming familiar with their language and culture. Along with Canadian zoologist Rudolph Anderson, Stefansson launched a major research expedition to the Canadian Northwest from 1908 to 1912. The team carried out ethnological and zoological studies among the Mackenzie and Copper Eskimo of the Coronation Gulf.

He continued his research from 1913 through 1918. His research party was divided into two groups; the first, commanded by Anderson, was responsible for survey and scientific work on the north mainland coast. The second group continued to explore the Canadian Northwest, in the process discovering four unknown islands. He retired from active exploration in 1919, and focused on studying, writing and lecturing about the Arctic. He wrote more than 20 books and over 400 articles during his life. He also began assembling the Stefansson Collection, a collection of printed materials, manuscripts and photographs related to both the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

During World War II, Stefansson acted as a military advisor to the United States government, studied the defense of Alaska, and wrote reports and manuals for the armed forces. In 1947, he began a position as Arctic consultant at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire. In 1951, the Stefansson Collection was transferred to Dartmouth, in order to support the Northern Studies Program at the College. The collection was purchased by Dartmouth in 1952 and is currently housed at the Rauner Special Collections Library.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson died from complications of a stroke on August 26, 1962 in Hanover.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Vilhjalmur Stefansson Papers consist of correspondence written by and about Stefansson. Folder 1 dates from 1919-1980 and contains several letters written and signed by Stefansson. His correspondence includes letters to officials at the University of North Dakota, as well as a 1951 letter from Stefansson in which he explains his role in the National Council of American Soviet Friendship.

Folder 2 dates from 1950-1952, and records the efforts of Mrs. Ruth Iverson to gather biographical information regarding Stefansson which she could use for a research paper. The undated paper, entitled Stef: Youth and Undergraduate is included as well.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

1. Correspondence: 1919-1980
2. Correspondence and Biographical Reminiscences: 1951-1952

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