1 linear foot (4 boxes and 2 oversized 30x4 inch boxes)

Borg, Erland Levi

English, Swedish

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Augustana College and Theological Seminary (Rock Island, Ill.)  Augustana College Band
Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.)--Students
Music in universities and colleges--Illinois--Rock Island

Julia G. Westblade, 2012.
Updated, 2013.

Augustana College Special Collections
Thomas Tredway Library
639 38th Street
Rock Island, Illinois 61201
309-794-7643
specialcollections@augustana.edu

Erland Levi Borg was born in 1903 and raised in Parkers Prairie, Minnesota.  He transferred to Augustana in the fall of 1926 as a sophomore after attending one year at Northwestern College.  He graduated in 1929. While at Augustana, he participated in the House of Representatives, the Social Board, and the Olaf Rudbeck Society.  He also sang in Handel’s Messiah and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.  He was the secretary-treasurer of Sola Fide, the men’s Bible class, his senior year and was the treasurer of the Augustana Foreign Missionary Board that same year.  Borg was very active in the Augustana Concert Band in which he played the clarinet for his sophomore and junior year and the bassoon his senior year.  In 1928, the summer between his junior and senior year, Borg went with the Augustana Concert Band on their European Tour.  His senior year he was the vice-president of the band.

After he graduated, he married Mildred Benson Borg and became an ordained Lutheran minister. Interestingly, Mildred attended the 1928 concert in Kane, Pennsylvania but the two did not meet until a few years later when he became the seminary intern at the church where she was the organist. They had two daughters: Junita "Nita" Borg Hemke (class of 1958) and Kirsten Borg (class of 1961).

Between 1933 and 1970 Borg ministered in Odebolt and Kiron, Iowa; St. Paul's Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minnesota; Thabor Lutheran Church in Wausa, Nebraska; First Lutheran Church in DeKalb, Illinois; and the Augustana Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He passed away in October 1983.

There is additional biographical information located in the 2013 Accession series.

The Erland Levi Borg collection dates from 1926-1978, 1993 and measures one foot with two additional oversized boxes.  This collection contains articles, pamphlets, receipts, music uniforms, and paraphernalia regarding the Augustana Concert Band European Tour and other campus organizations. There is also biographical information regarding Borg's life after Augustana and pictures of Band Tour Reunions. There were three bound volumes of newspaper issues dating from 1905-1973 but due to the size, they were returned to the donor.  Lists of the newspapers they contained and a bibliography of articles of interest are included in the collection as well as copies of articles from the Augustana Observer student newspaper.  A suitcase from the European Tour was also returned.  Photographs of all returned objects are included in the collection.

The suitcase measured 14 inches by 23.5 inches by 7 inches and totaled 1.33 cubic feet.

The newspaper volume labeled Miscellaneous Newspapers 1905-1968 measured 18.125 inches by 12.5 inches by 1.5 inches and totaled 339.84 cubic inches. 
The volume labeled Old Newspapers 1925-1973 measured 23.75 inches by 15.5 inches by 1.5 inches and totaled 552.19 cubic inches. 
The volume labeled Miscellaneous Newspapers 1907-1971 measured 24 inches by 18 inches by 2.5 inches and totaled 1080 cubic inches (0.625 cubic feet).

The Original Accession series consists of materials originally donated to Augustana College on an unknown date. 
      The Augustana Concert Band Tour of 1928 subseries contains materials pertaining to the Augustana Band’s tour of Europe in the summer of 1928.  These materials include a personal diary of the trip, correspondence with hotels and friends, band programs, financial records, newspaper clippings, and a copy of a photo album.
      The Augustana College Organizations sub-series contains materials relating to Borg’s other activities on campus such as the Handel Oratorio Society, Symphony Orchestra, and the Augustana Foreign Mission Society.  There are pamphlets, photos, and programs from campus events.
      The Miscellaneous sub-series is made up of assorted items such as a calling card and a church bulletin. 
      The Photographs sub-series contains photos of Borg’s friends and family, the Augustana Band, as well as Augustana College campus and faculty.

The 1987 Accession series contains two volumes of sheet music (mostly for Bflat clarinet) that Borg played while in college.

The 2011 Accession series contains additional materials related to the Augustana Concert Band Tour and information about newspapers Borg collected.
      The Newspapers sub-series contains a list of newspaper issues and a bibliography of articles of interest from three bound volumes that were returned to the donor.  These articles include references to himself and his family, wedding announcements, class reunions, Augustana College, and the Lutheran church.  There are also reproductions of articles from the Augustana Observer and a photograph of the returned bound volumes. 
      The Augustana Concert Band Tour of 1928 sub-series is a continuation of the sub-series from the original accession.  It contains two band uniforms presumably from the Tour as well as several belts and photos of the suitcase that was returned to the donor. While there is no evidence that women went along on the tour, a uniform with a skirt was gifted along with the man's uniform. Although it is listed as a female uniform, it was actually formerly a man's. Borg's wife used the pants to make a skirt for her daughter Junita.

The 2013 Acession series contains additional information from the Band Tour of 1928, biographical information about Borg's life after Augustana, and photographs of Band Tour reunions. Many of these items contain annotations from Borg's daughter Junita Borg Hemke.
   The Augustana Concert Band Tour of 1928 sub-series is a continuation of the sub-series from the original accession. It contains promotional materials and a souvenir program as well as a collection of postcards from Brussels and a breakfast menu from their boat the "Empress of France." The sub-series also contains an article from the Augustana College Bulletin,/ regarding the 50th Anniversary of the Tour and a 1993 presentation hosted by the Augustana Historical Society.
   The Miscellaneous sub-series is a continuation of the sub-series from the origional accession. It contains programs from campus events and the Tri-City Symphony Orchestra and a copy of The Lutheran Companion announcing Borg's 1933 ordination. There is also a large Augustana pennant.
   The Photographs sub-series is a continuation of the sub-series from the original accession. It contains group portraits from several band reunions from 1953-1978 as well as a few casual snapshots from these reunions.
   The Biography sub-series dates from 1923-1977 and contains items and newsclippings relating to Borg's life after Augustana. Many of these items are heavily annotated by Borg's daughter Junita. There is also a brief two-page biography written by his daughter.

This collection has been arranged into four series: Original Accession, 1987 Accession, 2011 Accession, and 2013 Accession.  Within these series, the collection has been arranged into seven sub-series: Augustana Concert Band Tour of 1928, Augustana College Organizations, Miscellaneous, Photographs, Music, Newspapers, and Biography.