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GACA Collection 451. Office of the President. Papers of Acting President Oscar A. Winfield, 1935-1965: Overview

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Collection Description

Office of the President.  Papers of Acting President Oscar A. Winfield, 1935-1965.  GACA Collection 451.  1 Hollinger box and 1 oversize folder.

ABSTRACT:
The Oscar A. Winfield collection contains papers from his time as Acting President of Gustavus Adolphus College.  Papers include correspondence, publicity, mailings, forms, bills, etc.  Winfield was a Philosophy professor at Gustavus who served as acting president from 1943-44, between presidents Walter Lunden and Edgar Carlson.

Biographical Note

Oscar Ahlenious Winfield was born 23 Septebmer 1896 in Stensele, Västerbotten, Sweden.  Winfield immigrated to the United States in 1909.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois in 1921 and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Augustana Theological Seminary, Rock Island, Illinois in 1924.  Winfield continued his studies at Yale University, receiving a Master of Arts in 1928 and a PhD in 1930.

Winfield was ordained 15 June 1924 in DeKalb, Illinois.  He served as pastor at Beaver Valley Lutheran Church, Valley Spring, South Dakota from 1924-25 and at Augustana Lutheran Church, Meriden, Connecticut from 1930-35.  He also served as a vice-pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Peter, Minnesota in 1941.

Winfield joined the faculty at Gustavus Adolphus College in 1935 teaching economics and sociology.  Gradually, he began specializing in philosophy and founded the Philosophy Department in 1939, where he served as department head until retiring in 1963.  Winfield also served as vice-president to Walter Lunden from 1942-43, acting president from December 1943-September 1944, and as vice-president to Edgar Carlson until 1947.  During his time as acting president he was also the V-12 coordinator.

Oscar Winfield married Bernice Marie Carlson on 1 November 1924, and they had one son, Richard Kimberly.  After retirement, the Winfields moved to Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California where Oscar died 30 June 1965.

Scope and Content

This collection is divided into two series: Papers and Miscellaneous.

Papers contains files from his time as president of Gustavus Adolphus College.  Materials include correspondence, publicity, mailings, forms, bills, etc., arranged alphabetically.

Miscellaneous consists of a genealogy, a program from Winfield’s funeral, and newspaper clippings about him

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