Instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway in 1939, the St. Olav Medal is awarded in recognition of outstanding services rendered in connection with the spreading of information about Norway abroad and strengthening bonds between Norwegian Americans and the homeland of their ancestors.
Verlyn Anderson served for 36 years on the faculty at Concordia College as Director of the College Library and Professor of history and Scandinavian studies.
He has lectured and written extensively about local history, Norwegian genealogy and about his ancestors, both in the United States and in Norway.
Through numerous organizations, societies and institutions both in the United States and Norway, Dr. Anderson is active in promoting the knowledge and appreciation of Norwegian culture, language and history, with the following highlights:
For over 20 years, he has taught the Adult Norwegian Program at Skogfjorden, Concordia College’s Norwegian Language Village and has been the cultural director of the local Fargo-Moorhead Sons of Norway Lodge.
Frequently leading study tours sponsored by the Smithsonian Museums, Dr. Anderson and his wife have escorted more than 40 tours of Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
In addition to serving on the Advisory Council of the Norwegian-American Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library in Madison, Wisc., he has been a visiting professor at the Hedmark College in Hamar, Norway.
Verlyn and his wife, Evonne, recently hosted their three daughters, three sons-in-law and three grandsons on a 2-week tour of Norway in conjunction with the award presentation.
By order of His Majesty King Harald V, Head of the Royal Chancery Egil Vindorum presented the St. Olav Medal to Dr. Anderson on June 25, 2008. The ceremony was held in Hadeland at the medieval Nicolai Church, one of the historic “Sister Churches” in the Gran parish and where Dr. Anderson’s great-grandfather was baptized in 1854. Hadeland’s well-known KK Men’s Choir held a concert as part of the presentation ceremony.