Centennial Planning
Separation of Committees
One of the chief organizers of the celebration was Gisle Bothne, a Norwegian-born professor of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Minnesota. He served as president of the Norse-American Centennial and was an officer in several organizations. Other men involved in the Norse-American Centennial Executive Committee, who oversaw the planning, finances, and the efforts to publicize the Centennial, included N.T. Men, A.C. Floan, Trygve Has, J.A. Holvik, and S.H. Holstad. Under this committee included the Program Committee, which was run by Rev. B.E. Bergesen, Rev. H.K. Madsen, H. Askeland, Rev. O.H. Sletten, and Carl D. Kelsey.The Women’s Auxiliary Committee, separated from the Executive Committee, was in charge of the exhibits of Norwegian artifacts, as well as the reception and housing of the thousands of guests and visitors to the Twin Cities. Elisa Farseth served as the Chairman, with the help from Mrs. J.E. Haugen, Carrie Fosseen, and Alma Guttersen. The program committee for the Women's Auxiliary included Lena Floan, Gunhild Tftedal, Laura Bratager, Amanda Anderson and Georgina Lommen.
There was little overlap between the two committees in duties and membership, with the exception of the ticket selling campaign, which both committees pushed hard for in order to increase both awareness and participation in the Centennial. This separation of the committees would lead to conflict during the Centennial about the lack of publicity, as well as after the Centennial when books were being written about the efforts of each committee.
Souvenirs that Tell the Story of Norwegian-Americans
Congressman O.J. Kvale of Minnesota, along with Senator Peter Norbeck of South Dakota, were in charge of convincing Congress to support production of commemorative medals and stamps, which passed and were produced for the centennial. In Kvale’s speech, however, he also pushes the “empty land” myth. He states, “These traits will explain why the Norwegians have tramped out into the new and unexplored country, have fought savages and beasts and primeval nature, and have built the prosperous, peaceful, law-abiding communities that even to-day are a recognized mark of their homes in that section” (The Norse-American Centennial Speech of Honorary O.J. Kvale of Minnesota in the House of Representative, 1925 February 24).To celebrate the Norse-American Centennial, prominent Norwegian American members of Congress pushed for two stamps to be made in honor of the Centennial celebration. A two cent stamp depicted the Restaurationen, the ship that crossed the Atlantic in 1825, and a five cent stamp that depicted the image of a traditional Viking ship, meant to represent Leif Erikson’s voyage to America in the year 1000. The stamps marked the first time in American history that the United States had issued two commemorative stamps in two colors of ink for a centennial celebration.
Additionally, they pushed for the creation of 40,000 commemorative medals also in celebration of the event. These medals were of similar size to a quarter, and made of the same silver. On one side, an image of Restaurationen with the words “Authorized by the Congress of the United States of America” can be seen. On the other, the image of a Viking warrior leaving his ship on the shore, meant to represent Leif Erikson landing in Vinland, modern day Northeastern Canada, with the words “Norse American Centennial”.
Other souvenirs were made, including a souvenir book containing photographs of prominent speakers at the Centennial as well as those who worked to make the Centennial happen, as well as a collection of essays and the program for the event. However, many of these essays supported the ‘empty land’ myth, Norwegian ethnic superiority, or both.