Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey Named Swedish American of the Year
Harvey, professor emerita of theater arts, is the 50th person to receive the distinction.
The two Swedish District Lodges of the Vasa Order of America have named Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey, professor emerita of theater arts at SDSU, the Swedish American of the Year 2009.
Harvey is the 50th person to earn the distinction.
About Harvey
Harvey grew up in Old Town in Stockholm in a family with many cultural interests. This rich background helped shape Harvey, who has made notable contributions in several cultural spheres.
After Swedish studentexamen in 1959, Harvey studied art history at the University of Stockholm and at Scripps College in Claremont, Calif. This is where she met her future husband Michael Harvey. They were married in 1963 in Storkyrkan, Stockholm.
Academic interests
Upon moving to Minneapolis, Harvey continued her studies at the University of Minnesota, where she earned a master's degree in theatre arts and Scandinavian literature, and her Ph.D. in theatre arts. During her years in Minneapolis, Harvey became interested in Swedish-American music and theatre.
She researched the popular culture of the Swedish immigrants, documenting and presenting it in articles, on stage, in TV programs and on four LPs, and was one of the founding members of the Olle i Skratthult Project. Harvey also produced and hosted a weekly Scandinavian radio program and, for six years, was the headliner at the Snoose Boulevard Festival concerts in Minneapolis. Eventually, Harvey joined San Diego State University.
Supporting Swedish-American culture
Throughout the years, Harvey presented singing tours and lectures on Swedish-American and Scandinavian-American themes.
She also worked as dramaturg and translator on many stage productions in the United States. She also translated books, including Anna-Maja Nylén's comprehensive Swedish Handcraft and Ellen Key's Beauty in the Home.
Harvey is a board member of The August Strindberg Society of Los Angeles, The Ibsen Society of American, and the Swedish Council of America. She is a member of the Vasa Order of America and was past grand lodge cultural director for America and Canada from 2002-06.
In 1998, Harvey was awarded His Majesty the King's Gold Medal for her work for Swedish culture in America. The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles honored her with the Sven A Eliason Award 2006, and in 2008 she was recognized by Mortar Board at San Diego State University.
