The Papers of Nikolai Astrup Larsen

The Papers of Nikolai Astrup Larsen, 1884-1967 | Luther College Archives

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Collection Overview

Title: The Papers of Nikolai Astrup Larsen, 1884-1967

ID: LCA/RG15/Larsen, N

Primary Creator: Larsen, N. Astrup (1878-1961)

Extent: 9.8 Linear Feet. More info below.

Date Acquired: 03/22/1969

Subjects: Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) - Alumni and alumnae, Missionaries--China, Norwegian Lutheran Church of America

Languages: English, Norwegian, Chinese

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Documentation consists of correspondence, 1897-1967 (family and church); diaries,1907-9, 1916; sermons, 1920’s-1950’s; photographs; budget books, 1949-1965; receipts; insurance policy; journals; booklets; bulletins; family information; newspaper clippings; certificates; autobiographies (him and others); papers of N.L.C.A. (minutes and constitution) and other church related papers and articles; programs; papers on the Iowa District; Luther College papers (information, clubs, events, etc.); pocket books; date books, 1898-1916; speeches; political papers (Communism in China); study notes; notebooks; lecture notes; scrapbooks; minutes; resolutions; a few poems; articles by N.A. Larsen and others; papers and materials on China mission work; World Church convention information and conferences materials (World Council of Churches, American Lutheran Church Conference); date books and almanacs, 1918-1954.

Biographical Note

Larsen was born to Luther College president Laur. Larsen and his wife Ingeborg Astrup Larsen on July 13, 1878. He graduated from Luther College in 1896. After graduation, he enrolled at Luther Theological Seminary and graduated from that institution in 1900. He immediately accepted a call as a pastor in Minnesota. In 1902, he moved to North Dakota to serve several congregations there. A year later, he moved again within North Dakota and stayed with a congregation there for eight years. He married his first wife, Tora Ylvisaker in 1904 who died six years later. He married Marie Weltzin, whom he met after accepting a call to Our Savior’s Church in Tacoma, Washington in 1911. Together they performed missionary work in China, and in 1925 he became the president of the Union Lutheran Theological Seminary in China. Upon his return from China, he received a call to First Lutheran Church in Sioux City, Iowa. In 1933, Luther conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. He was elected president of the Iowa District of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in 1934, serving that position until his retirement fifteen years later. He died in 1961 at the age of 83.

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Larsen ble født 13. juli 1878. Han var sønn av Luther College president Laur. Larsen og Ingeborg (Astrup). Han tok eksamen ved Luther College i 1896. Deretter begynte han ved Luther Theological Seminary og gikk ut derfra i 1900. Kort etter takket han ja til et kall som prest i Minnesota. I 1902 flyttet han til Nord Dakota for å tjenestegjøre for flere menigheter der. Han giftet seg med Tora Ylvisaker i 1904. Hun døde seks år senere og han giftet seg da med Marie Weltzin, som han møtte etter å ha takket ja til et kall fra Our Savior’s Church i Tacoma, Washington, i 1911. Sammen jobbet de som misjonærer i Kina, og i 1925 ble han president for Union Lutheran Theological Seminary der. Da han kom tilbake til USA fikk han et kall fra First Lutheran Church i Sioux City, Iowa. I 1933 mottok han en æresdoktorgrad, Doctor of Divinity, fra Luther. Han ble valgt til president for Norwegian Lutheran Church, Iowa District i 1934, en jobb han hadde til han gikk av med pensjon femten år senere. Han døde i 1961, åttitre år gammel.

Subject/Index Terms

Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) - Alumni and alumnae
Missionaries--China
Norwegian Lutheran Church of America

Administrative Information

Repository: Luther College Archives

Alternate Extent Statement: 15 boxes

Use Restrictions: Though we may hold the property rights, Luther College Archives does not hold the copyrights for all materials. Individuals may use materials for non-commercial, private use, but commercial users must secure permissions from the copyright holders and/or Luther College Archives to reproduce, publish, or quote protected materials and photographs. For more information about the Luther College copyright and fair use policy, please visit https://www.luther.edu/library/copyright

Acquisition Source: N. Astrup Larsen Estate

Preferred Citation: Cite unpublished materials: Nikolai Astrup Larsen Papers, RG15 Manuscripts, Luther College Archives, Decorah, Iowa

Finding Aid Revision History:

6/10/24: Abby Bates updated copyright policy link.

5/10/2023: HRJ updated to include acquisition information from original processing documents, add languages, and add subject headings.

11/20/19: EC updated the preferred citation.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Correspondence, 1900-1967],
[Series 2: Writings, 1925-1961],
[Series 3: Sermons, 1920-1959],
[Series 4: China Missions, 1909-1953],
[Series 5: Church Papers, 1927-1968],
[Series 6: Personal Papers, 1884-1965],
[Series 7: Realia, Undated],
[All]

Series 5: Church Papers, 1927-1968

Box 7: Church Papers, 1909-1962

Folder 1: Correspondence on Call from First Lutheran Church of Sioux City, IA, 1928
Folder 2: Circular Letters on the Church, 1933-42, 44-45, 58
Folder 3: Correspondence on Pastoral Salary, 1937, 44, 46
Folder 4: World Council of Churches Publications, 1948-1949
Folder 5: World Council of Chuches Publications, 1950-1951
Folder 6: World Council of Churches Publications, 1952-1953
Folder 7: World Council of Churches Publications, 1954-1955
Folder 8: World Council of Churches, 1956-1957
Folder 9: World Council of Churches Publications, 1958-1959
Folder 10: World Council of Churches Publications, 1960-1962
Folder 11: World Council of Churches Membership Cards and Pamphlets, 1951, 53, 54
Folder 12: World Council of Churches Sermons and Articles, 1948, Undated
Folder 13: Articles on World Council of Churches, 1947-48, 54, 56
Folder 14: Sermons on the World Council of Churches, 1942, 56, Undated
Folder 15: "Should we Join the World Council of Churches", 1948
Folder 16: Correspondence on the World Council of Churches, 1946-1949
Folder 17: Lutheran World Convention, 1937
Folder 18: Correspondence on the World Council of Churches, 1954-56, 58, 61-62, 68
Folder 19: Third Lutheran World Convention, 1935
Folder 20: Third Lutheran World Convention Papers and Speeches, 1935
Folder 21: Correspondence, Lutheran World Convention, 1935-1936
Folder 22: Correspondence & Papers on Burr Oak Lutheran Church, 1930-1949
Folder 23: Correspondence & Papers on Calmar Lutheran Church, 1909, 35, 43-47, Undated
Folder 24: Correspondence & Papers on Washington Prairie Church, 1941, 43, 49
Folder 25: Correspondence & Papers on Madison & Lincoln Parish, 1949
Folder 26: Correspondence & Papers on Decorah Lutheran Church, 1943, 48-49
Folder 27: Correspondence & Papers on Bluffton Community Church, 1946-1947
Folder 28: Correspondence & Papers on First Lutheran Church, 1943-44, 51
Folder 29: Papers on Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1956, 59, 63
Folder 30: Papers on Various Churches, 1948-1950, Undated
Folder 31: Correspondence & Papers on Churches, 1946, 49, Undated
Folder 32: Correspondence with Margaret Wall on Psalm Pamphlets, 1936
Folder 33: History of Fulton Norwegian Lutheran Church, 1927
Folder 34: History of Vinje & St. Paul's Lutheran Churches in Callender, 1924
Folder 35: First Lutheran Church in Sioux City Newsletters, 1930-1933
Folder 36: First Lutheran Church in Sioux City Newsletters, 1927-1928
Folder 37: Papers on First Lutheran Church in Sioux City, 1931-32, 34, 47, Undated
Folder 38: Correspondence on First Lutheran Church in McGregor, and Waterville Luth. Church, 1949
Folder 39: Correspondence & Papers on Lansing Lutheran Church, 1946, 48
Folder 40: Correspondence & Papers on Churches, 1936-1937
Folder 41: Correspondence & Papers of Clemont, IA, 1934-36, 39
Folder 42: Correspondence with Clermont Lutheran Church Parishoners, 1946-1949
Folder 43: Papers on First Lutheran Church in Minot, ND, 1934, 48, 59, Undated
Folder 44: Correspondence & Papers on Trinity Lutheran Church in Fort Worth, TX, 1944, 48, 55
Folder 45: Building & Dedication of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Houstan, TX
Folder 46: Building Plans & Dedication of Oak Cliff Lutheran in Dallas, TX, 1948, Undated
Folder 47: Churches in Washington and Oregon, 1948, 51, 52, Undated
Folder 48: Papers on First Lutheran Church in Manitowoc, WI, 1952, Undated
Folder 49: Churches in Wisconsin, 1936, 41, 48, Undated
Folder 50: Constitution of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sparta, WI, 1955
Folder 51: Papers on Various Churches, 1948, 49, Undated
Folder 52: Specific Pastoral Ordinations, 1934-1939, Undated
Folder 53: Specific Pastoral Installations and Ordinations, 1940-1950
Folder 54: Norwegian Lutheran Church and Lutheran Association of America, 1937, 41

Box 8: Papers of Lutheran Churches in America, 1931-1952

Folder 1: Booklets on the Church, 1933, 43
Folder 2: Brotherhood of the Norwegian Church of America, 1931
Folder 3: Newspaper Articles and Letters Regarding Newspaper Articles, 1932-33, 35, 40, 49, 54, 59, 60
Folder 4: American Lutheran Conference, 1932, Undated
Folder 5: American Lutheran Conference, 1934-1935, Undated
Folder 6: American Lutheran Conference, 1936
Folder 7: American Lutheran Conference, 1938
Folder 8: ALC, Commission on Social Relations, 1938-1940
Folder 9: American Lutheran Conference, 1940
Folder 10: American Lutheran Conference, 1941
Folder 11: ALC, Commission on Social Relations, 1941-1942
Folder 12: American Lutheran Conference, 1942
Folder 13: ALC, Commission on Social Relations, 1943-1944
Folder 14: American Lutheran Conference, 1944
Folder 15: ALC, Commission on Social Relations, 1945-1946
Folder 16: American Lutheran Conference, 1946
Folder 17: American Lutheran Conference, 1947
Folder 18: American Lutheran Conference, 1948
Folder 19: ALC, Commission on Social Relations, 1949-1950
Folder 20: American Lutheran Conference, 1952

Box 9: Papers of Lutheran Churches in America, 1933-1955

Folder 1: Norwegian Lutheran Church Iowa District, 21st Annual Meeting, 1936-1937
Folder 2: Norwegian Lutheran Church Iowa District, 19th & 20th Annual Meetings, 1935-1936
Folder 3: Norwegian Lutheran Church Iowa District, 17th Annual Meeting, 1933
Folder 4: Norwegian Lutheran Church Iowa District, 1933-1936
Folder 5: Pastoral Salary Questionaires, 1937
Folder 6: Lutheran Church Iowa District Convention, 1944
Folder 7: Sunday School Program Manuels, 1952-1953
Folder 8: Teacher-Pupil Sunday School Workbook, Undated
Folder 9: "Complete Christianity" and Bible School Program, 1929
Folder 10: Correspondence and Information on Teacher Training, 1936, Undated
Folder 11: Church & Sunday School, 1927, 33, Undated
Folder 12: Issues in Lutheran Church, 1949-1950, Undated
Folder 13: O.H. Pannkoke and issues in Lutheran Church, 1937, Undated
Folder 14: Correspondence and Conference Materials on Evangelism, 1954, Undated
Folder 15: Papers on Lutheran Unity, 1936, 49
Folder 16: Materials on Merger of ELC, 1948, 54-55, Undated
Folder 17: Luther Academy, 1950, Undated
Folder 18: The Church and Conscientious Objectors, 1942, Undated
Folder 19: Materials on Rural Churches, 1943, 45, 49, Undated
Folder 20: The Lutheran Church and Labor, 1945, Undated
Folder 21: Articles on Church and Related Activities, 1941, 48, Undated

Box 10: Personal and Church Papers, 1920-1960

Folder 1: American Lutheran Conference, 1930
Folder 2: Papers and Correspondence on ELC Norwegian Conferences, 1947-50, 52-60
Folder 3: Correspondence and Papers on the Church, 1938-1939
Folder 4: Correspondence and Reports on Iowa Church, 1934
Folder 5: Central Lutheran Church, 1922023, 40