Past Grand Lodge President Interviews

Grand Lodge historian Jill Beatty created a project to interview past Grand Lodge Presidents in order to record part of the history of Daughters of Norway.  Recent history graduate student Ida Stallvik assisted in the interviews and did the video editing.  The interviews were conducted through video recordings on Zoom, due to the widespread geographical location of all past Grand Lodge Presidents.  Everyone who was interviewed was asked very similar questions regarding their term and their experiences.

The interview process began in February 2024 and lasted until late May 2024.  A total of ten interviews were completed, eight in video format and two written.  A typical interview lasted for about 15-30 minutes, and began with a discussion about when their term was.  The time range discussed was from 1980 to 2023.

A lot of valuable information was collected through these interviews.  One very interesting factor that came up in discussion was the change in use of technology over time.  In addition, the coronavirus pandemic also seems to have made virtual meetings more common throughout the organization.

The interviews are accessible for members only through the Daughters of Norway website.  When you click on a link below, it will take you to the interview on YouTube in a new page.  If the interview questions were responded to in written form, you will be taken to the interview pdf in a new page. In order to access other interviews, you will need to return to this page and click on any additional link for the interview you wish to view.

For pictures of the past Grand Lodge Presidents listed above, click this link.