Henriette Christiane Koren Naeseth was born April 6, 1899 in Decorah, Iowa, to parents Caroline Mathilde Koren and Christen Andreas Naeseth. Naeseth received her B. A. from Grinnell College (1922), an M. A. from University of Minnesota (1924), and Ph. D. from the University of Chicago (1931). She taught at University of Chicago, Groucher College, and Chadron State College before accepting a position of Associate Professor of English at Augustana College at Rock Island, Illinois, in 1934. Naeseth served as Head of the Department of English at Augustana College from 1936 until she retired in 1968. She was also chairman of the division of humanities starting in 1945.
Naeseth had a major impact on the Department of English as well as the college as a whole. She was founder of the Augustana Writer's Club and its literary magazine, Saga. She also helped establish the Phi Beta Kappa chapter on campus and was instrumental in getting Augustana recognized by the American Association of University Women. Naeseth authored the book The Swedish Theatre of Chicago, 1868-1950 and several journal articles and reviews. She also translated Return to the Future, by Norwegian author Sigrid Undset.
Naeseth came from a well educated Norwegian family steeped in the academic tradition. Her maternal grandfather, Dr. U. V. Koren was president of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod and helped found Luther College at Decorah, Iowa. Her father, C. A. Naeseth taught English at Luther and served as librarian for over 40 years. Naeseth was proud of her Norwegian ancestry and actively researched in the field of Norwegian-American culture. She was awarded the St. Olav's Medal on behalf of King Olaf V of Norway in 1970 for her "work in furthering the knowledge of Norway and Norwegian culture in the United States, and for furthering the relations and solidarity between Norwegian America and the old country."
Other honors bestowed upon Naeseth during her life include an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from Luther College in 1961, and citations in Who's Who of America, Who's Who in Education, and Who's Who American Women.
She passed away in 1987 at the age of 88. |
