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 15: Miscellaneous

Box 26

located on back wall

Folder 1: Materials RE: Bilinguality in the Dutch Immigrant Community
Folder 2: Article on Homosexuality
Folder 3: Article -- Language Policy and Language Conflict (for Jo Daan's book)
Folder 4: Articles regarding WWII Occupation
Folder 5: Research Grants
Folder 6: Paper on Self-Study --- 1972
Folder 7: Paper: Calvinism in the holland Novels of Arthur van Schendel
Folder 8: Paper: Herdenkingsfeest --- 1976
Folder 9: Notes regarding Lord's Supper
Folder 10: Proposal -- Communion at Woodlawn
Folder 11: Praise and Thanksgiving Service -- Visit of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands --- 6/27/1982
Folder 12: Research Material -- Flemish Migration
Folder 13: Translation Project -- History of Father Bernard Pennings and Development of St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere, WI
Folder 14: Lecture: "Dutch Literary Culture in America"
Folder 15: Tributes to Walter Lagerway
Folder 16: Lagerway's Library Book Lists and Donations of the Books after Retirement
Folder 17: Tour to Israel Travel Notes --- 1994
Folder 18: Sinter Klaas Fest -- Calvin College --- 1977: Cassette
Folder 19: Chapel Talks -- Calvin College
Folder 20: Correspondence Regarding Publication of Speak Dutch
Folder 21: Newspaper Clippings

Box 27

located on back wall

Folder 1: Autobiography -- Our Lives Together Walter and Willmar Lagerway 1943-2005
Folder 2: Dissertation by Marcia Ann Lagerway -- Commeret Radiant Text(ure)s: The Creative and Intellectual Spaces in the Lives and Art of Three Women

Box 28: Slides of Netherland Locations

all indexed - located on back wall

Box 29

Folder 1: Slides – bicycle trip in the Netherlands
Folder 2: Slides – East Germany
Folder 3: Slides – Poland
Folder 4: Slide Show Commentary – De Groene --- 1940-1945
Folder 5: Slide Show Narrative – ”De Bezetting”
Folder 6: Book – Love and Marriage During WWII: Walt and Wilma Write
Folder 7: Book notes – The Island City of the World, The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan by Russel Shorte
Folder 8: Book notes – The Gift of the Stranger, Faith, Hospitality, and Foreign Language Learning by Barbara Carvill and David I. Smith
Folder 9: Book notes – Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Folder 10: Book notes – Old Men at Midnight by Chaim Potok
Folder 11: Book notes – Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
Folder 12: Book notes – Reading Lolita in Tehran – a Memoir in Books by Azir Nafisi
Folder 13: Book notes – A Bearer of Divine Revelation, New and Selected Stories by Lawrence Dorr
Folder 14: Book notes – Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel
Folder 15: Notes on author Flannery O’Connor
Folder 16: Papers for wartime English course --- 1944-1945
Folder 17: Paper – ”On the Preservation of Dutch-American Culture”
Folder 18: Tour to Israel – Travel Notes --- June 15-17, 1994
Folder 19: Article – ”Voices from the Free Congregational at Grand Rapids, Michigan” – Holland and Unitarian Church
Folder 20: Articles regarding the Dead Sea Scrolls by Bastian Van Elderen

Box 30

Folder 1: Article – Walter Lagerwey ”He’s Made Language His Life”
Folder 2: Article – ”Journey to Poland” --- 1978
Folder 3: Paper – ”De Trouwe Wachter” (The Faithful Watchman)
Folder 4: Paper – ”The Mission of the Dutch Norbertines of the Berne Abbey in America”
Folder 5: Paper – ”The Netherlands Muse”
Folder 6: Historical Sketch – Coldbrook CRC
Folder 7: Quotations
Folder 8: Annie Dillard – Quotations from For the Time Being
Folder 9: Book Review – For the Time Being by Annie Dillard
Folder 10: Lecture – ”A Christian View on Creation and Evolution” by Dr. Jan Lever
Folder 11: Newspaper Article – ”Sinterklaas’ rides in Dutch Stories” --- 1988
Folder 12: Story Recap – ”Back Before the Day” by Reynold Pri
Folder 13: Miscellaneous Correspondence
Folder 14: Calvin College Chapel Talk ”Norgenwijding”
Folder 15: Prayers
Folder 16: Article ”Historical Perspective of Dutch Society” by Johan Goudslom
Folder 17: Lecture ”Dutch-American Identity Politics: The Use of History by Dutch Immigrants” by Hans Krabbendam
Folder 18: Lenten Meditations
Folder 19: Queen Beatrix Visit to Calvin --- 1982
Folder 20: Amsterdam Immigration CD
Folder 21: War Letters – Walt-Wilma CD
Folder 22: Retirement of Walter Lagerwey --- 1983