Student paper submitted to Hedahl by Brenda J. Kiser: “An Overview of Homiletical Instruction in The Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg in the 19th Century”

This collection documents the personal and professional life of the Rev. Dr. Susan K. Hedahl. The contents of Hedahl’s writings are mostly religious in purpose (sermons, Bible studies, lesson plans, journal features, and scholarship). A number of the religion-related papers include quotations and citations written in their respective original languages (not English). The collection also includes sabbatical reviews from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg which also contain lengthy lists of books read for pleasure during that time; correspondence; poetry; music performance reviews clipped from the University of Minnesota student paper; and journals. Two photos of Dr. Hedahl as a young woman and other memorabilia are also included. Most of the collection is made up of materials created in Minnesota, California, and Pennsylvania in accordance with Hedahl’s place of residence. The collection contains four travel journals noting trips to Russia; Germany; Egypt; the UK; Tel Aviv, Israel; and Maine, USA. Various items may exist from elsewhere in accordance with Hedahl’s travels.

This collection is not extensive, though its materials do span the years from her childhood through her death. The materials highlight Hedahl’s years as a higher education student at the University of Minnesota, Luther Seminary, St. John’s University, and Graduate Theological Union (Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary) and as a professor at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.

The records are arranged into 3 series: professional, personal, and writings. The professional series is arranged in 2 sub-series based on her work as a professor and a minister. The personal series is arranged chronologically as best as can be determined by the processor. It has been arranged in 3 sub-series based on the dates of the materials. The writings series contains her published poems and articles. It has been arranged in 4 sub-series by writing type. Her writings that can be found elsewhere are cited in Related Materials. As Hedahl was a regular contributor to Emphasis from December 1990 through December 1993, a chart was used in place of a citation to aid the researcher.