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Collection Overview
Abstract
Professor of economics and vice president of academic affairs at Calvin College. The collection includes: correspondence; articles; documents; reports; papers; lectures; records of the Association of Reformed Colleges, 1973-1982, (minutes, correspondence, seminar papers, and financial reports); a letter from Billy Graham, 1963; a Calvin commencement address, 1982, entitled "The Heart of the Matter;" and sports memorabilia (sweater, letter awards and medals, 1940-1941).
Biographical Note
John Vanden Berg was born in Sully, Iowa on October 31, 1919. Although he was born in Iowa, Vanden Berg spent the majority of his boyhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After Vanden Berg graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School in 1938, he went on to attend Calvin College. His college education was interrupted by his service in the U.S. Army which sent him to Yale University to learn the Malay language. From 1944 to 1945 he was stationed in Southeast Asia. After his service, he returned to Calvin College and graduated in 1946. Also in that year, Vanden Berg married Marian Ruth Zylstra.
Vanden Berg furthered his education at the University of Michigan where he earned his M.A. degree in economics in 1947 and his Ph.D. in economics in 1958.
In 1947 Vanden Berg became faculty in Calvin's economics department. From 1958 to 1963 he served as the chairman of the department. In 1963 Vanden Berg was appointed both vice-president for academic affairs and dean of the college. During this time Vanden Berg worked on many programs for the college including semester-interim -semester curriculum, the multi-cultural lectureship series, and the Calvin Center for Christian Studies. He also served on more than 35 college committees.
Vanden Berg was also involved in the municipal politics as well. He served as city commissioner of Grand Rapids from 1959 to 1963. He was also chairman of the Grand Rapids Coordinating Council on Education and a member of the Michigan Commission on Accreditation. Vanden Berg was active in the church as well. Vanden Berg was a member of the Fuller Avenue CRC and where he led several Bible studies. He also served as chairman of the Synodical Committee on Taxation and Christian Education. Vanden Berg and his wife even volunteered at the Christian School in Rehoboth, New Mexico.
After 35 years of service to Calvin College, Vanden Berg retired in 1982. John and Marian have established a scholarship at Calvin College called the John and Marian Vanden Berg Family Scholarship, which assists students with a major either in economics or education.
Notes:
John Vanden Berg - Class of 1946 (should have been 1942, but he spent four years in military service)
Marian (Zylstra) Vanden Berg - Class of 1944
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Correspondence, 1963-1984],
[
Series 2: Correspondence and Miscellaneous, 1963-1980],
[
Series 3: Association of Reformed Colleges (ARC), 1973-1982],
[
Series 4: Sports Memorabilia],
[All]
- Series 1: Correspondence --- 1963-1984
- Box 1
- Folder 1: A --- 1964-1984
- Folder 2: B --- 1964-1978
- Folder 3: C --- 1965-1979
- Folder 4: D --- 1964-1977
- Folder 5: E --- 1965-1982
- Folder 6: F --- 1964-1978
- Folder 7: G --- 1966-1977
- Folder 8: H --- 1965-1978
- Folder 9: I&J --- 1970-1978; 1970-1979
- Folder 10: K --- 1965-1978
- Folder 11: L --- 1964-1979
- Folder 12: M --- 1965-1978
- Folder 13: N --- 1965-1978
- Folder 14: O&P --- 1966-1971; 1964-1978
- Folder 15: Q&R --- 1964-1975; 1965-1978
- Folder 16: S --- 1964-1984
- Folder 17: T&U --- 1966-1978; 1969-1971
- Folder 18: V --- 1964-1983
- Folder 19: W --- 1966-1979
- Folder 20: Z --- 1978
- Series 2: Correspondence and Miscellaneous --- 1963-1980
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Correspondence --- 1963-1980
- Folder 2: Calvin College documents --- 1963-1971
- Folder 3: State of Michigan documents
- Folder 4: Calvin's report to the State Board --- 1964-1971
- Folder 5: Religious education in other institutions --- 1964-1973
- Folder 6: Press and magazine clippings
- Folder 7: Reports: Henry Hoeks to Dean Vanden Berg --- 1974-1977
- Folder 8: "The Academic Study of Religious Programs at Calvin College", a paper by Mary S. Van Someren for Religion and Theology 390 --- 1974
- Series 3: Association of Reformed Colleges (ARC) --- 1973-1982
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Association of Reformed Colleges Minutes --- 1973-82
- Folder 2: Association of Reformed Colleges Correspondence and Memos
- Folder 3: Association of Reformed Colleges Seminars, N. Wolterstorff --- 1974-75
- Folder 4: Association of Reformed Colleges Seminars, Clifford Christians --- 1975-76
- Folder 5: Association of Reformed Colleges Seminars, David Meyers --- 1976-77
- Folder 6: Association of Reformed Colleges Seminars, Nicholas Barker --- 1977-78
- Folder 7: Association of Reformed Colleges Seminars, Donald MacKay --- 1978-79
- Folder 8: Association of Reformed Colleges Seminars, C.G. Baeta --- 1980-81
- Folder 9: Association of Reformed Colleges Financial Reports --- 1975-80
- Folder 10: Reminiscences, "Oakdale Park"
- Folder 11: 4-1-4 plan material of John Vanden Berg
- Series 4: Sports Memorabilia
- Box 4: Sports Memorabilia of John Vanden Berg and Marian (Zylstra) Vanden Berg contains
- Item 1: A varsity sweater - this sweater was worn by Marian (Zylstra) VandenBerg as a member of the Women's Basketball Team in the season. The team won the championship of the league, a league made up of Calvin College and teams representing firms from around Western Michigan. Al Muyskens was the coach of the team --- 1940-1941
- Item 2: Two Calvin College letter awards. Both of these were earned by Jon Vanden Berg - one as a member of the junior varsity basketball team (the one with the R in it) and the other as a member of the Calvin College Golf team
- Item 3: Two medals in a plastic bag
a. The red, white, and blue ribbon medal was won by John Vanden Berg for being the winner of the MOCC (Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference) golf tournament in the spring of 1941. Dr. John De Vries was the coach of the golf team that year
b. The small medal was won by Marian (Zylstra) Vanden Berg as a member of the women's basketball team
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Correspondence, 1963-1984],
[
Series 2: Correspondence and Miscellaneous, 1963-1980],
[
Series 3: Association of Reformed Colleges (ARC), 1973-1982],
[
Series 4: Sports Memorabilia],
[All]
