CARL W. STROM PAPERS (1899-1969)

BIOGRAPHY

Carl Walther Strom was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota on December 22, 1899 to Eimar Ingvald Strom and Helina (Nedrud) Strom. From 1914-1918 Strom attended Luther College majoring in Math. On July 18, 1918 Strom enlisted in the Army at the Students Army Training Camp at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He was commissioned as Second Lietutenant of Infantry. Strom received his honorable discharge from the Army on December 31, 1918. After leaving the Army, Strom became a member of the faculty at Luther College working both as registrar and in the Math department off and on until 1935. During this time Strom received advanced degrees including a B.A. in 1927 and a M.A. in 1950 from Oxford University and a Ph.D. in 1931 from the University of Illinois. Strom married Camilla Sperati on June 5, 1931. The couple had two children, Sonja and Karen.

Strom entered the Foreign Service in 1935 and served in Vancouver, Zurich, Mexico City and at the State Department. From 1948-1951 Strom was Consul General in Mexico City and a Foreign Service inspector from 1951-1954. In 1955 Strom was Ambassador to South Korea and then to Cambodia from 1957 to 1959. Strom was then Ambassador to Bolivia from 1959-1961 when her returned to Washington to head the Foreign Service Institute. He retired in 1963 with his wife to Decorah. Strom died while wintering in Ft. Lauderdale on January 27, 1969 at the age of 69.

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

The collection is arranged into 11 series: Series I, Correspondence; Series II, Early Childhood and Education; Series III, Army Records; Series IV, Publications; Series V, As Faculty at Luther College; Series VI, Foreign Service Records; Series VII, Honors and Awards; Series VIII, Death and Retirement Records; Series IX Newspaper Clippings; Series X, Photographs; Series XI, Scrapbooks; Series XII, Realia.

The first series, Correspondence, includes correspondence between Carl W. Strom and the State Department during his application to and work in Foreign Service. The correspondence featuring letters to Carl W. Strom and copies of his replies dates from 1932-1935. Also included is a letter from President John F. Kennedy dated April 12, 1961 accepting Carl W. Strom’s resignation from Foreign Service. In addition, correspondence regarding Carl W. Strom’s death in 1969. The letters are addressed to Strom’s wife, Camilla Sperati Strom, extending condolences. Finally, included in this series are two miscellaneous letters, one seemingly written by Carl W. Strom’s father, Eimer Strom, and one written in Spanish to Carl W. Strom while he was a student at Oxford.

Series II contains Early Childhood and Education Records. These records contain the birth certificate of Carl W. Strom and the Strom family tree. In addition, this series contains the educational records of Carl W. Strom from his years at Luther College and in academic correspondence with Harvard, University of Iowa and the University of Illinois. Included also in this series are loose pages from a scrapbook put together by Carl W. Strom while a student at Luther College. The complete scrapbook can be found in Series XI. Finally, included in this series are menus, programs and ticket stubs collected by Carl W. Strom as a Student and Luther College and at Oxford.

The third series in the collection, Army Records, begins with Carl W. Stroms’s military service records dating from 1918. Also included is an Army Paper Workbook used by Carl W. Strom while in the Army. Finally, Carl W. Strom’s discharge papers and honorable discharge certificate, dated 1918, is included.

Publications make up series IV. Publications include Carl W. Strom’s master thesis, both a draft and a final copy, dated 1930. Also included are three mathematical publications by Carl W. Strom. These publications are from the years 1930 and 1961.

Series V contains materials collected by Carl W. Strom As Faculty at Luther College during the 1920’s. Included are faculty memos and chapel talks.

The Foreign Service Records in series VI are dated from 1944-1962. Included are papers collected while Carl W. Strom was ambassador to Bolivia, c. 1960. Also included are various Foreign Service Publications collected by Carl W. Strom while in the foreign service. A large part of this series is speeches given by Carl W. Strom while in the Foreign service in the following countries: U.S., Mexico, Bolivia and Cambodia. The speeches are in English, Spanish and French and date from 1944-1961. The final part of this series is farewell messages from the Foreign Service to Carl W. Strom upon his retirement in 1962.

The seventh series, Honors and Awards, include honors bestowed upon Carl W. Strom from Luther College in 1950 as well as several miscellaneous certificates honoring achievement and service. These range in dates from 1956-1961.

In series VIII Death and Retirement Records can be found. These date from 1960 to 1969 and include retirement information with moving company information. Also included are death and autopsy reports from 1969.

Series IX includes Newspaper Clippings. The clippings are separated into three categories: 1. Clippings regarding Carl W. Strom’s Foreign Service Activities, 2. Clippings regarding the death of Carl W. Strom in 1969 and 3. An article written by Carl W. Strom.

The Photographs in series X include photos and negatives from Carl W. Strom’s College years, starting with his time as a student at Luther College in 1914. Also included are photographs from Carl W. Strom’s time in the Foreign Service.

A Scrapbook can be found in series XI. This is a scrapbook put together by Carl W. Strom during his years as a student at Luther College from 1914-1918.

Series XII contains Realia. Included with the realia collection are several items collected by Carl W. Strom while in the Foreign Service. There are many certificates of recognition, some printed on leather. Also included is Carl W. Strom’s wooden name plate. Finishing out the realia collection are decrative confirmation certificates from the confirmations of both Carl W. Strom and his wife Camilla Sperati Strom.

ASSOCIATED COLLECTIONS

The researcher is encouraged to refer also to the papers of Camilla Sperati Strom, wife of Carl W. Strom in Record Group 15. In this collection are correspondence and materials used by Camilla Sperati Strom to write Grand Old Maestro, a book about her father, Carlo A. Sperati. The researcher is also encouraged to refer to the Carlo A. Sperati Collection containing primarily correspondence between Carlo A. Sperati and his wife Emma Hoffos Sperati. Also included in this collection are diaries written by Carlo A. Sperati while a faculty member at Luther College.

PROVENANCE AND DONOR

The collection was donated to the Luther College Archives by Camilla Sperati Strom.

A Box Inventory is attached.

RG15

Carl W. Strom Papers

1.6 Cubic Feet

Box 1, 0.2 c.f.

Series I: Correspondence

Carl W. Strom/Incoming

Folder 1: State Department Correspondence, 1932-1935.

Folder 2: Correspondence from President John F. Kennedy, April 12, 1961.

Folder 3: Correspondence regarding the death of Carl W. Strom. 1969.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1882 and 1926.

Series II: Early Childhood and Education

Folder 5: Birth Certificate of Carl W. Strom, reproduction, 1939.

Family tree, n.d.

Folder 6: Education Records of Carl W. Strom, 1918-1924.

Folder 7: Scrapbook pages from Luther College scrapbook, 1914-1918.

Folder 8: Menus, ticket stubs, programs and invitations, n.d.

Series III: Army Records

Folder 9: Military Service Records, 1918.

Folder 10: Army Paper Workbook, n.d.

Folder 11: Army discharge papers, 1918.

Box 2, 0.2 c.f.

Series IV: Publications

Folder 1: Masters Thesis draft, n.d.

Folder 2: Masters Thesis, 1930.

Folder 3: Mathematics Publications. 1937.

Folder 4: Mathematics Publications, cont., 1961.

Folder 6: Mathematics publications, cont., 1937.

Series V: Faculty at Luther College

Folder 7: Papers and notes collected while on faculty at Luther College, 1920’s.

Series VI: Foreign Service Records

Folder 8: Papers collected while in Bolivia, c. 1960.

Box 3, 0.2 c.f.

Series VI cont.: Foreign Service Records

Folder 1: Foreign Service Publications, n.d.

Folder 2: Foreign Service Publications, cont., n.d.

Folder 3: Speeches given in the U.S., Mexico, Bolivia and Cambodia, 1944-1961.

Folder 4: Foreign Service Farewells, 1962.

Box 4, 0.2 c.f.

Series VII: Honors and Awards

Folder 1: Honorary Degree from Luther College, 1950.

Folder 2: Miscellaneous honors and awards, 1956-1962.

Series VIII: Retirement and Death Papers

Folder 3: Papers regarding retirement and death, 1960-1969.

Folder 4: Death Certificates and Reports, 1968-1969.

Series IX: Newspaper Clippings

Folder 5: Clippings regarding Foreign Service, 1957-1960.

Folder 6: Clippings regarding death of Carl W. Strom, 1969.

Folder 7: Article written by Carl W. Strom, 1926.

Series X: Photographs

Folder 7: Photos and negatives from college years, n.d.

Folder 8: Photos from foreign service, n.d.

Box 5, oversized, 0.4 c.f.

Series XI: Scrapbooks

OS Scrapbook collected by Carl W. Strom while a student at Luther, 1914-1918.

Box 6, oversized, 0.4 c.f.

Series XII: Realia

OS Foreign Service materials and confirmation materials, 1910-1960.