University of Minnesota

FinnFest USA, Records

Finding Aid


IHRC


Immigration History Research Center, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota

Descriptive summary

Creator: FinnFest USA.
Dates: 1982-2003
Abstract: Records of FinnFest USA consist of minutes and correspondence of the executive board, newspaper articles, tape recordings of annual executive board meetings, organizational newsletters, publicity materials, videotapes, photographs and other items pertaining to the annual FinnFest USA celebrations.
Quantity: 46.5 linear ft.
Language: In English.
Collection ID: IHRC659

PROVENANCE

Collection donated to the IHRC in successive installments over the period 1985-2004 by Robert Selvala, Marlene Banttari, Robert Esko, Norman Westerberg and Mae Selvala. Processed by Timo Riippa, Tom Steman, Joel Wurl, Heather Muir, Lisa Stretz and DaN. Present finding aid made available online at the IHRC website in 2005.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

FinnFest USA is an organization that sponsors an annual celebration (of the same name) of Finnish culture in the United States. FinnFests have been held in Minneapolis, Minnesota (1983); Fitchburg, Massachusetts (1984); Hancock, Michigan (1985); Berkeley, California (1986); Livonia, Michigan (1987); Newark, Delaware (1988); Seattle, Washington (1989); Hancock, Michigan (1990); Lake Worth, Florida (1991); Duluth, Minnesota (1992); Thousand Oaks, California (1993); DeKalb, Illinois (1994); Portland, Oregon (1995); Marquette, Michigan (1996); Minot, North Dakota (1997); Gorham, Maine (1998); Seattle, Washington (1999); Toronto, Ontario, Canada (2000); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2001); Minneapolis, Minn. (2002) and Lake Worth, Fl. (2004).

DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS

The FinnFest USA collection is available for public research.

OWNERSHIP & LITERARY RIGHTS

The FinnFest USA collection is the physical property of the Immigration History Reseach Center, University of Minnesota.

For further information regrading the copyright, please contact the IHRC.

CITE AS

The FinnFest USA Records, Finnish American Collection, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota

Index Terms

Finnish Americans--Societies, etc.
Folk festivals.
FinnFest USA.

Description of Series

This section briefly describes each series in the collection. A more detailed description of the contents of each series may be found in the following section.

SERIES 1. General administrative

Series 1 of the FinnFest USA records consists of minutes and correspondence of the executive board, newspaper articles, tape recordings of annual executive board meetings, organizational newsletters, publicity materials, and other items pertaining to FinnFest USA celebrations. The collection also contains videotapes of the FinnFests USA festivals.

SERIES 2. Robert Selvala

Series 2 contains rich documentation of the various aspects of the FinnFest celebrations as generated and/or compiled by Bob Selvala (d.2000), one of the founders of FinnFest and organizer of the event who served as FinnFest's president for its first 18 years.

SERIES 3. Robert Esko

Series 3 consists of oganizational records pertaining to the Finnish American festival (FinnFest) organized in 2002 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Collection consists of the 2002 festival/conference program materials, financial records, mailing lists, files pertaining to the individual sessions and panels. Included are also program brochures for the previous FinnFests in the 1990's.

SERIES 4. Norman Westerberg

Series 4 contains materials documenting selected FinnFest festivals for the 1983-2001 period and Norman Westerberg's involvement in these. Included are surveys completed by FinnFest participants, statistical reports, correspondence, program brochures and video tapes.

Detailed Description of the Collection

SERIES 1. General administrative

Series 1 of the FinnFest USA records consists of minutes and correspondence of the executive board, newspaper articles, tape recordings of annual executive board meetings, organizational newsletters, publicity materials, and other items pertaining to FinnFest USA celebrations. The collection also contains videotapes of the FinnFests USA festivals.
BOX 1-14.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBSERIESDESCRIPTION OF THE SUBSERIES

SERIES 2. Robert Selvala

Series 2 contains rich documentation of the various aspects of the FinnFest celebrations as generated and/or compiled by Bob Selvala (d.2000), one of the founders of FinnFest and organizer of the event who served as FinnFest's president for its first 18 years.
SUBSERIES 1. Administrative
Subseries 1 contains minutes, correspondence, publicity, photographs, videotapes, and other records of the festivals.
BOX 15. Correspondence, 1983-1984
BOX 16. Correspondence, 1988-1990
BOX 17. Correspondence, 1991-1993
BOX 18. Correspondence, 1994-1996
BOX 19. Correspondence, 1996-1997
BOX 20. Correspondence, 1997-1999
FOLDER 1. 1997-1999
FOLDER 2. Correspondence to FinnFest Board 1983-1989
BOX 21. Correspondence to FinnFest Board, 1990-1995
BOX 22.
FOLDER 1. Correspondence to FinnFest Board 1995
FOLDER 2. FinnFest History Book - Introduction
FOLDER 3. FinnFest History Book - Selvala Intros
FOLDER 4. FinnFest History Book - Parta Printers
FOLDER 5. FinnFest History Book - Finances
FOLDER 6. FinnFest History Book - Paavo Nurmi
FOLDER 7. FinnFest History Book - KSK
FOLDER 8. FinnFest History Book 1983
FOLDER 9. FinnFest History Book 1984
FOLDER 10. FinnFest History Book 1985
FOLDER 11. FinnFest History Book 1986
FOLDER 12. FinnFest History Book 1987
FOLDER 13. FinnFest History Book 1988
FOLDER 14. FinnFest History Book 1989
FOLDER 15. FinnFest History Book 1990
FOLDER 16. FinnFest History Book 1991
FOLDER 17. FinnFest History Book 1992
FOLDER 18. FinnFest History Book - Copyright
FOLDER 19. Finn Grand Fest 2000
FOLDER 20. Finn Grand Fest 2000
FOLDER 21. Finn Grand Fest 2000
FOLDER 22. Finn Grand Fest 2000
FOLDER 23. Finn Grand Fest 2000
FOLDER 24. Procedures Manual 1990
BOX 23.
FOLDER 1. Executive Committee 1985
FOLDER 2. Executive Committee 1986-1990
FOLDER 3. Executive Committee 1993
FOLDER 4. Executive Committee 1993
FOLDER 5. Board Meetings 1984
FOLDER 6. Board Meetings 1986
FOLDER 7. Board Meetings 1987
FOLDER 8. Board Meetings 1988
FOLDER 9. Board Meetings 1989
FOLDER 10. Board Meetings 1990
FOLDER 11. Board Meetings 1991
FOLDER 12. Board Meetings 1992
FOLDER 13. Board Meetings 1993
FOLDER 14. Board Meetings 1994
FOLDER 15. Annual Meetings 1984-1987
FOLDER 16. Annual Meetings 1989
FOLDER 17. Annual Meetings 1990
FOLDER 18. Annual Meetings 1991
FOLDER 19. Annual Meetings 1992
FOLDER 20. Annual Meetings 1993
FOLDER 21. Annual Meetings 1993
FOLDER 22. Annual Meetings 1994
FOLDER 23. Annual Meetings 1994
FOLDER 24. Membership
BOX 24.
FOLDER 1. Corespondence to FinnFest Board 1998-1999
FOLDER 2. Property file
FOLDER 3. Donations
FOLDER 4. Posters
FOLDER 5. Paavo Nurmi Exhibit
FOLDER 6. History Book
FOLDER 7. Logo
FOLDER 8. Memo to Directors
FOLDER 9. Correspondence
FOLDER 10. FinnFest USA 1990
FOLDER 11. By Laws originals
FOLDER 12. Donations 1998
FOLDER 13. Copyright
FOLDER 14. Finnish Embassy
FOLDER 15. Executive Committee 1996
FOLDER 16. Board Meetings 1995
FOLDER 17. Board Meetings 1998
FOLDER 18. Board Meeting 1996
FOLDER 19. Board Meeting 1997
FOLDER 20. Annual Meeting 1997
FOLDER 21. Board Meetings 1998
FOLDER 22. Executive Committee 1998
FOLDER 23. Annual Meeting 1995
FOLDER 24. Annual Meeting 1996
FOLDER 25. Things to do
BOX 25.
FOLDER 1. Trip to Finland
FOLDER 2. Westerberg
FOLDER 3. Follow Up
FOLDER 4. Procedures Manual
FOLDER 5. Minutes
FOLDER 6. Minutes
FOLDER 7. Minutes
FOLDER 8. Survey 1993-1994
FOLDER 9. Survey 1994
FOLDER 10. Survey Data 1996
FOLDER 11. Survey Data 1996
FOLDER 12. Domain Address
FOLDER 13. Annual Meetings 1997-1998
FOLDER 14. Festival Brochures
BOX 26.
FOLDER 1. Festival Brochures
FOLDER 2. Bob Selvala speeches 1984-1998
FOLDER 3. Annual Meetings
FOLDER 4. Newsletters
FOLDER 5. Procedures Manual
FOLDER 6. Procedures Manual
FOLDER 7. FinnFest Videos - Committee Reports
FOLDER 8. FinnFest Videos 1988
FOLDER 9. FinnFest Videos 1990
FOLDER 10. FinnFest Videos 1991
FOLDER 11. FinnFest Videos 1992
FOLDER 12. FinnFest Videos 1993
FOLDER 13. FinnFest Videos 1994
FOLDER 14. FinnFest Videos 1995
FOLDER 15. FinnFest Videos 1996
FOLDER 16. FinnFest Videos 1997
FOLDER 17. FinnFest CDs 1996
FOLDER 18. FinnFest CDs 1999
BOX 27. Festival, 1983
BOX 28. Festivals, 1984-1986
BOX 29. Festivals, 1987, 1989
BOX 30. Festival, 1990
BOX 31. Festival, 1991
BOX 32. Festival, 1992
BOX 33. Festivals, 1993-1994
BOX 34. Festivals, 1997
BOX 35. Festivals, 1995, 1998
BOX 36. Festival, 1996
BOX 37. Festival, 1999, Survey Statistics
SUBSERIES 2. Photographs
This subseries consists of over 20 photoalbums documenting FinnFest festivals and other Finnish-related activities of Bob Selvala, framed photographs, certificates and memorabilia, some artifacts.
BOX 38-41.
BOX Oversize 1-5.

SERIES 3. Robert Esko

Series 3 consists of oganizational records pertaining to the Finnish American festival (FinnFest) organized in 2002 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Collection consists of the 2002 festival/conference program materials, financial records, mailing lists, files pertaining to the individual sessions and panels. Included are also program brochures for the previous FinnFests in the 1990's.
BOX 42-43.

SERIES 4. Norman Westerberg

Series 4 contains materials documenting selected FinnFest festivals for the 1983-2001 period and Norman Westerberg's involvement in these. Included are surveys completed by FinnFest participants, statistical reports, correspondence, program brochures and video tapes.
BOX 44.

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