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

Printer-friendly |

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 10: Poems --- 1852-1961

Box 16

Folder 1: Poems by Theo. Agema --- 1920s-1930s
Folder 2: Poems and articles by Henry Beets --- 1900-1910
Folder 3: Poems by L. Berkhof --- 1873-1898
Folder 4: Poem, "Nagedachtenis" by B. Bierenga --- 1945
Folder 5: Poem, "Gebed" by Bonna --- 1919
Folder 6-7: Poems in De Bereer --- 1928-1931
Folder 8: Poem, "Feestgroete" by P. DeBruyn --- 1897
Folder 9: Poem in De Hollander --- 1858
Folder 10: Poems and articles in De Hollandsche Farmer --- 1914-1918
Folder 11: Poem, "South Holland, Illinois" by J. DeYong --- 1906
Folder 12: Poems by Henry E. Dosker --- 1887
Folder 13: Poems by A. Guikema --- 1934
Folder 14: Poems by B. A. Hendriksen --- 1916-1934
Folder 15: Poems by G. K. Hemkes --- 1897-1911
Folder 16: Poem by R. T. Kuiper --- 1884
Folder 17: Poems by H. Meyer --- undated
Folder 18: Poem by Th. Pasma in De Hope --- 1907
Folder 19: Poem by V. C. Smallenburg --- 1852
Folder 20: Poem by H. L. VanBruggen --- 1926
Folder 21: Poem by I. Van Dellen in De Gereformeerde Amerikaan --- 1899
Folder 22: Poems by T. Vander Ark --- undated
Folder 23: Poem by Helen Vandermeer --- 1942
Folder 24: Poems by Wybe J. VanDerMeer --- 1925-1929
Folder 25: Poems and hymn lyrics by H. VanderWerp --- 1884-1908
Folder 26: Poems by Nellie VanKolk --- 1926

Box 17

Folder 1: Poems by D. Veltman --- 1917
Folder 2: Poems by C. Verburg --- 1897
Folder 3: Poems by Geerhardus Vos --- 1927-1931
Folder 4: Poems by Dewey Westra --- 1959-1961
Folder 5: Poems by P. Yonker --- 1905-1910
Folder 6: Poems by John Youngsma --- 1930
Folder 7: Poems by A. Zwemer --- 1876-1907
Folder 8: Poems in De Volksvriend --- 1921
Folder 9-10: Poems in De Wachter --- 1868-1873
Folder 11: Poems in CRC Yearbooks --- 1887-1929
Folder 12: Dutch poems --- 1920-1933
Folder 13: Yankee Dutch poems --- undated
Folder 14: Poem and article by Nellie De Boer --- 1920
Folder 15: Poems and articles by B. D. Dykstra --- 1930-1951