Festive Fall Dinner - November 2009

Society celebrates an artist, honors two long-time leaders

The Swedish-American Historical Society's fall dinner meeting Nov. 14 at Chicago's Swedish American Museum celebrated the work of well-known Swedish artist Anders Zorn, who made seven trips to America between 1893 and 1907, painting three U.S. Presidents and dozens of prominent business and civic leaders.

The dinner also honored two long-time leaders, H. Arnold Barton, former editor of the Society's Swedish-American Historical Quarterly (1974-1990), and Ronald J. Johnson, board member since 1994, chair of two major fund drives, and currently vice-chair of the board of directors.

Following a performance of music from Dalarna by Mary Allsopp (violin) and John Hall (nyckelharpa), the authors of the Society's 2009 dividend book, Zorn in America, William and Willow Hagans, gave a slide-show presentation of Zorn's life and work in America. At the close of the meeting, they autographed copies of their book.

It was announced by Society president Philip J. Anderson that, at the annual board meeting earlier in the day at North Park University, Arnold Barton had been named editor emeritus of the quarterly and will be so identified in future issues. Anderson also spoke about coming meetings, including a conference next Nov. 5-6 at North Park marking the 150th anniversary of the Augustana Synod and 125th anniversary of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Kevin Proescholdt, board chair, presented the Society's highest honor, the Carl Sandburg Medal, to Ronald Johnson. Johnson is the seventeenth recipient since 1978 of the medal, previously awarded to Vilas Johnson, Conrad Bergendoff, Selma Jacobson, Franklin D. Scott, Nils William Olsson, Wesley Westerberg, Sten Carlsson, Emeroy Johnson, Emory Lindquist, Nils Hasselmo, Arnold Barton, Eric Lund, Ulf Beijbom, Philip Anderson, and Eloise and LeRoy Nelson.

By Eric Lund