Walter Lagerwey Collection, 1849-2005 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: Walter Lagerwey Collection, 1849-2005

ID: COLL/488

Primary Creator: Lagerwey, Walter (1918-2005)

Extent: 10.16 Cubic Feet. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Professor of Dutch language and literature at Calvin College. The collection includes extensive biographical information; correspondence; papers; articles; research materials; periodical clippings; theater programs in the Dutch language; and manuscripts that detail various aspects of Dutch studies, i.e., language, literature, culture, religion, and poetry. [See also the Campus Titles Database.]

Biographical Note

Walter Lagerwey was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 11, 1918. When Lagerwey was 14, he and his family spent four years in the Netherlands. The young Lagerwey fell in love with the country, embracing its language and culture. With the break out of World War II, Lagerwey served the United States Foreign Broadcast and Intelligence Service as a monitor and translator of Dutch radio broadcasts. He also served on a team of Dutch language specialists on the United States Army Signal Corps. Once WWII ended Lagerwey enrolled at Calvin College where he majored in history and minored in English, German, and philosophy. He graduated in 1949 and then spent two years at Columbia for his master's in Germanic languages, then then did graduate work at the University of Michigan and the Free University Amsterdam. He eventually earned his Ph.D. in Germanic Languages and Literatures from University of Michigan in 1958.

In 1953 Lagerwey accepted a faculty position at Calvin College and essentially ran a one-man Dutch department. The same year of his hire, Lagerwey was appointed to the Queen Juliana Chair of Language and Culture of the Netherlands. While at Calvin, Lagerwey experienced difficulties finding textbooks on the Dutch language, so he wrote his own textbook entitled, Speak Dutch in 1968. This textbook was not only used by Calvin students, but eventually became a valuable resource for colleges across the country. For a time Lagerwey served as the president of the Netherlandic section of the Modern Language Association of America. Due to his many years of promoting the Dutch language, literature and culture, Lagerwey was named an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau, a prestigious honor given to him by the Dutch government in 1978.

After 30 years of service to Calvin College, Lagerwey retired in 1983. On June 6, 2005 Walter Lagerwey passed away after a short illness. He was survived by his wife of 62 years, Wilhelmina Ditmar, and their children.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Materials, 1966-2005],
[Series 2: Manuscript and Book: Neen Nederland 'K Vergeet U Niet, undated and 1982],
[Series 3: Academic Materials, 1954-1980],
[Series 4: Literature and Poems, 1959-1975],
[Series 5: Research Materials, 1880-1984],
[Series 6: Correspondence, 1941-1981],
[Series 7: Materials, 1953-1978],
[Series 8: Correspondence, 1967-1971],
[Series 9: Dutch Immigrant Research Materials, undated],
[Series 10: Poems, 1852-1961],
[Series 11: Writings, 1858-1981],
[Series 12: Materials, 1849-1985],
[Series 13: Slides, 1974-1984],
[Series 14: Materials, 1922-1978],
[Series 15: Miscellaneous],
[Oversized OS33],
[All]

Series 6: Correspondence --- 1941-1981

Box 8

Folder 1-6: Correspondence --- 1966, 1973, 1975-1978

Box 9

Folder 1: Correspondence re: Netherlands Interim --- 1978
Folder 2-11: Correspondence --- 1979-1988

Box 10

Folder 1-9: Correspondence --- 1989-1999
Folder 10: Belgium correspondence --- 1977-1981
Folder 11: Correspondence re: Guide to Dutch Studies --- 1959-1979

Box 23

Folder 1: Description of Walter and Wilma Lagerway's World War II Letters (1941-1945)
Folder 2-29: Letters to Wife --- June 1943-April 1945

Box 24

Folder 1-8: Letters to Wife --- May 1945-December 1945
Folder 9-20: Letters to Walter from Wife (Wilma) --- December 1942-July 1944

Box 25

Folder 1-16: Letters to Walter from Wife (Wilma) --- August 1944-November 1945