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Henrik Joakim Stafseth papers

 Record Group
Identifier: UA-17.66

Scope and Contents

The collection contains correspondence, diaries, and other papers of Henrik Joakim Stafseth. Several diaries describe Stafseth's 1925-1926 tour of veterinary and other colleges in seven European countries. At this time he was an Exchange Professor at the Royal Hungarian Veterinary College.

In 1945-1946 Stafseth served as Chief Veterinarian for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in China, where he was instrumental in establishing China's first modern veterinary college at Lanchow, Kansu Province. Letters, diaries, and speech notes describe his experiences; and many clippings from Chinese newspapers (in English) relate to the UNRA and Chinese political issues. Included are notes and a plan for postwar reconstruction in Mongolia by K. George Soderbom.

Among other papers are speech notes (1945-1954 and undated) on professional and social - political subjects, and papers (1956-1958) related to the review and appraisal of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. Also included are a copy of a proposed East Lansing, Michigan, city charter; and minutes (1943-1944) of the charter commission.

The correspondence includes letters (1942-1945) from Stafseth's son, Henrik Ekroll, which were written during World War II while he was stationed with the Sixteenth Naval Construction Battalion in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and with the Navy Public Works Division in New York.

Three letters and a printed autobiography (volume 29) of Bessie Maxson (born 1874), a social and political reformer and friend of the Stafseths, give an anecdotal history of her activities in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Ojai, California.

The collection also contains photographs and slides which include images of Michigan State University, China, Mexico, people, animals as well as other topics.

Dates

  • Creation: 1902 - 1967

Creator

Language of Materials

Some of the materials are in Norwegian.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Henrik Joakim Stafseth (1890-1968) was a professor and administrator in bacteriology, microbiology, and public health at Michigan State University. Born in Norway, he immigrated to the United States in 1911, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1918. He received his B.S. (1915) from North Dakota Agricultural College; and D.V.M. (1917), M.S. (1930), and Ph.D. (1935) from Michigan State College (now Michigan State University).

Extent

7 Cubic Feet (, 47 volumes in box, photographs)

Legal Status

Donor(s) have transferred any applicable copyright to Michigan State University but the collection may contain third-party materials for which copyright was not transferred. Copyright restrictions may apply. Property Rights: Michigan State University.

Processing Information

The identifier for the collection was changed from 00076 to UA 17.66 to reflect Stafseth's connection to Michigan State University. September 2019, M. Badgley Malone

Title
Henrik Joakim Stafseth Papers
Status
4 Published And Cataloged
Author
J. VanderWal and J. Baronowksi
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository

Contact:
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330