author
Rasmus Björn Anderson
1846–1936
A lively Norwegian-American scholar and writer, he helped spark lasting public interest in Viking exploration and Scandinavian culture in the United States. His career stretched from university teaching and publishing to diplomacy, giving his work an unusually wide reach.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Albion, Wisconsin, in 1846 to Norwegian immigrant parents, he became one of the most visible champions of Scandinavian history and literature in America. He studied at the University of Wisconsin and later served there as a professor, where he helped establish Scandinavian studies as a serious academic field.
He is best remembered for popularizing the idea that Norse voyagers reached North America before Columbus and for helping inspire the movement that became Leif Erikson Day. Alongside his scholarly work, he wrote and edited books on Scandinavian themes and promoted Norse literature for English-speaking readers.
His life was not limited to academia. He also worked as a publisher, businessman, and diplomat, serving as United States minister to Denmark. Anderson died in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1936, after a long career devoted to connecting American readers with the history and culture of the North.