Early Life

Rasmus Born Anderson was a professor, author, diplomat and editor born Albion, Wisconsin. His father, Bjorn, was part of a small band of Quaker sympathizers who organized the first Norwegian emigration to America in the early 1820's.

Anderson, who grew up in this rigorous movement, inherited a spirit of independence and a tradition of dissent. He was sent to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa but led a student mutiny there that resulted in his expulsion in 1865. Although later he was given his degree and listed among those in the first graduating class.

Academic Career

In 1866 he became an instructor at Albion Academy and in 1869 he accepted an appointment as instructor in modern languages at the University of Wisconsin. While there he persuaded the administration to let him include a course in Norwegian in his program, and this led to his appointment in 1875 as the first professor of Scandinavian languages in the university and to the first regular chair in Scandinavian in the U.S.

Accomplishments

He lectured and wrote extensively on Scandinavian topics. His works including the widely read books, "America Not Discovered by Columbus," written in 1874 and "Norse Mythology" in 1875. He also did a series of translations from the Scandinavian, especially the writings of the Norwegian novelist Bjornson, with the aid of Mrs. Aubertine Woodward Moore. In 1883 he resigned his post at the university and engaged in the insurance business, but was appointed American Minister to Denmark in 1885.

After his return to the U.S. in 1889, he engaged in various commercial enterprises, but made his chief contributions as editor of 'Amerika' the pugnacious Norwegian language weekly. His only important publications from this later period were 'The First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration' in 1895 and his sparkling autobiography, 'Life Story of Rasmus B. Anderson' in 1915.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]