Odd Lovoll

Odd Lovoll at 90: A Fireside Chat About a Life Between Two Homelands

There are two major anniversaries for Norwegian America this year. It’s been 200 years since the sloop Restauration set sail, launching the first organized wave of Norwegian emigration to the United States. And it’s the 90th birthday of Odd S. Lovoll—the most influential modern chronicler of that very migration story.

For a professional lifetime, Lovoll has turned his attention to others—documenting the Norwegian-American experience in all its richness and complexity. But in this special fireside chat, we turn the spotlight on him.

What was it like to grow up in Nazi-occupied Norway? What was it like to arrive in the US in the 40s and adjust to a new culture and a new language? And what sparked his lifelong fascination with history—from urban Norwegian-American life in Chicago to prairie communities, from bygdelag reunions to Civil War colonels?

In conversation with Fredrik Kalstveit, writer, journalist, and host of the podcast 200 Norwegians, Lovoll will reflect on his extraordinary journey—from wartime childhood to immigrant adolescence, and from student to leading scholar of the Norwegian-American story.

Presented in collaboration with Norway House and the podcast 200 Norwegians. You will hear a fascinating talk and be part of the live audience for this interview. There will be time before the chat to speak with Mr. Lovoll and Mr. Kalstveit.

Tickets: $5

Schedule:
10:30 to 11:00 Mingle and talk with Odd Lovoll and Fredrick Kalstveir
11:00 to 11:45 Podcast interview with time for questions from the audience

Fredrik Kalstveit