Waldemar Ager: Norwegian~American

---

 Waldemar Ager was a Norwegian-American journalist, novelist, and activist based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. A leading voice in the Norwegian immigrant community, he edited the Norwegian-language newspaper Reform and was a passionate advocate for temperance, progressive politics, and Norwegian-American identity. 

"Ager was one of the most significant voices among Norwegian-American writers, passionately dedicated to the preservation of Norwegian culture and the fight for social reform.“ -Professor Orm Øverland

Image left: Waldemar and Gurolle Ager and their family in Eau Claire WI (Missing is Trygve Ager)

Waldemar Ager and the Golden Age of Norwegian America (1988) by Kenneth Smemo

Waldemar Ager's 50th Birthday celebration (1919)

Waldemar Ager's obituary (1941)

Published in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, The Reform is a significant Norwegian language newspaper that circulated throughout the Upper Midwest in the early 20th century. Today, you can view a digitized version of this paper online through a partnership with McIntyre Library at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The online collection contains about 2,400 issues spanning from 1896 to 1941. For many of those years, Waldemar Ager published and edited the newspaper. The online version is searchable, but this is limited by the Fraktur script.

Novels

• I Strømmen: en Fortælling (1899)(In the Stream)
  
• Kristus for Pilatus. En Norsk-Amerikansk Fortælling (1910)
  Translation by J. J. Skordalsvold published in 1924 as "Christ before Pilate: An American Story"
  (Digitized on-line at the Hathi Trust digital library)
  
• Oberst Heg og hans Gutter (1916)
  Translation by Della Kittleson Catuna and Clarence A. Clausen published as "Colonel Heg and his Boys"
  (Digitized on-line at the Hathi Trust digital library)
  
• Paa Veien til Smeltepotten (1917)
  Translation by Harry T. Cleven published in 1995 as "On the Way to the Melting Pot"
  (Digitized on-line at the Hathi Trust digital library)
  
• Det Vældige Navn:  Et Drømmebillede fra Verdenskrigen (1923)(The Mighty Name)
  (Digitized on-line at the Hathi Trust digital library)
• Gamlelandets Sønner (1926)
  Translation by Trygve M. Ager published in 1983 as "Sons of the Old Country"
  (Part of this translation can be read online at Google Books.)
• Hundeøine (1929)
  Translation by Charles Wharton Stork published in 1931 as "I Sit Alone"

Story collections

• Paa Drikkeondets Konto: Fortællinger og Vers (1894)
• Afholdsmuller fra Boghylden (1901) (Abstinence Crumbs from the Bookshelf, a collection of essays)
• Fortællinger for Eyvind (1906)
  (Digitized on-line at the Hathi Trust digital library)
  Translation by J.J. Skordalsvold published in 1907 as "When You Are Tired of Playing: Stories for Eyvind"
  (Translation Digitized on-line at the Hathi Trust digital library)
• Hverdagsfolk (1908) (Everyday People)
• Fortællinger og Skisser (1916) (Stories and Sketches)
  (Digitized on-line at the Hathi Trust digital library)
• Udvalgte Fortællinger (1918)(Selected Stories)
  (Digitized on-line at the Hathi Trust digital library)
• Ny Samling. Fortællinger og Skisser (1921)
• Under Forvandlingens Tegn. Fortællinger og Saadant (1930)(Under the Sign of Change)
• Skyldfolk og Andre (1938)
  Translation by Hildur Nicolai published in 1982 as "The White Cross in the Woods"