Name Randolph Haugan Role Author | Died February 18, 1985 Education St. Olaf College | |
Randolph E. Haugan (July 31, 1902 - February 18, 1985) was an American author, editor and publisher.
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Background
Randolph Edgar Haugan was born in Martell, Pierce County, Wisconsin to immigrant parents from Norway. He was the youngest child of Torgeir Halvorson Haugan (1864–1915) and Hilda Dorothea Josephine (Ehrhardt) Haugan. Rev. Torgeir Haugan was a Lutheran minister who was from Haugan near Brunkeberg, in the Kviteseid municipality of Telemark County, Norway and had immigrated to the United States during 1883. Randolph Haugan was a graduate of St. Olaf College (B. A. 1924).
Career
Starting in December 1928, Haugan would hold the position of General Manager for Augsburg Publishing House until 1970. Haugan was author and editor of several Lutheran church publications. These books included summaries of the beliefs and practices as well as information relating the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Haugan was knighted by King Haakon VII of Norway during World War II for his service to American Relief for Norway, Inc. of which he was Minnesota state director. Haugan was also a charter member of the Ampersander Society of Minneapolis and a contributing member of the Norwegian-American Historical Association. Additionally he served as chairman of the St. Olaf College Board of Trustees.
Haugan is most frequently associated with Christmas: an American Annual of Christmas Literature and Art which he initiated starting in 1931 and continued editing throughout the remainder of his career. This English language edition would succeed Jul i Vesterheimen, a Norwegian language Christmas annual previously published by Augsburg Publishing. Of the several Scandinavian-American Christmas annuals, these have generally been considered the most significant.