Thomas E. Brittingham
The Harold Kubly/Thomas Brittingham III version of the Brittingham International Scholarship Saga - reprinted earlier in this book - gives us a good picture of how the whole thing started, how the RV:s (Reverse Vikings) were born, how the Kublys were initiated as a third "ripple" and also the story behind the Wisconsin Viking Scholarship and the Internationals. Professor Harold Kubly brings the history forward up to l977, but what has happened during the 25 years after that? This is an attempt to bring this fascinating history up - to-date, (that is) in(b) its principal phases. Many interesting details like convention discussions, (PM:s) memorandums, proposals, reports etc must unfortunately be excluded or an entire book had to be written on those themes only!
The Kubly-Bunn(s) Scholars
The Kubly scholarship, soon renamed The Kubly-Bunn Scholarship (Peter Bunn being another driving force, beside Harold Kubly, behind the Viking Organization at the University of Wisconsin) should prove most successful and ended its limited time of existence in 1987. During its lifetime 1975 - 1987 this program brought 32 Scandinavian students to summer school in Madison. The scholarship, originally sending two scholars each year, was 1984 enlarged to four and at the convention in Madison 1984 the RV:s committed themselves to have four scholars a year for the next three years - one scholar from each of the Nordic countries. (The financing should be easier since it was decided not to cover travel to and from the US.) This expansion of the program also further encouraged the good cooperation between the RV-group in the US and the Vikings/Kublys (back) in Scandinavia, who were responsible for the selection job.
Until 1985 the Kubly-Bunns had been considered as a group outside the Viking organization, After several years' discussion, however, the 1985 convention decided that the Kubly-Bunns should be invited to attend future conventions, by which decision they were fully integrated into the Viking Organization. But no good story without an end. At the convention 1987 it was reported that the Kubly-Bunn scholarship might come to an end that year, which also turned out to be the case and was confirmed at the convention the year after.
How did the Kubly-Bunns experience their summer stay in the US? Arne Haug (' 85) finnishes his report from 21st Sep in the following way:
" I learnt a great deal about the American society this summer through the people I met and the places I saw. I made friends for life whom I will keep in touch with, visit again and receive as visitors in Norway. This scholarship promotes contact and understanding between Scandinavia and the USA, and I will actively support a continuation of this contact, to keep alive the spirit started by Bri
Until 1985 the Kubly-Bunns had been considered as a group outside the Viking organization, After several years' discussion, however, the 1985 convention decided that the Kubly-Bunns should be invited to attend future conventions, by which decision they were fully integrated into the Viking Organization. But no good story without an end. At the convention 1987 it was reported that the Kubly-Bunn scholarship might come to an end that year, which also turned out to be the case and was confirmed at the convention the year after.
How did the Kubly-Bunns experience their summer stay in the US? Arne Haug (' 85) finnishes his report from 21st Sep in the following way:
" I learnt a great deal about the American society this summer through the people I met and the places I saw. I made friends for life whom I will keep in touch with, visit again and receive as visitors in Norway. This scholarship promotes contact and understanding between Scandinavia and the USA, and I will actively support a continuation of this contact, to keep alive the spirit started by Bri
The Madison Vikings
Long before the ending of the Kubly-Bunn scholarship rumours popped up that something was going on concerning a new scholarship, a continuation of the whole Viking program. It turned out to be the Kubly-Bunn scholars who had started to organize themselves and were considering to create a scholarship program of their own. This was first reported already at the convention 1984 in Madison and confirmed the year after, 1985, in Oslo. Early 1988 it was officially announced in a letter to all Vikings under the head-line "The Viking Saga continues" and signed by Eric Ryd (' 84), Marga Cronstedt ('84) and Stefan Lundström (' 77) (telling about the) that a new program under the name of The Madison Viking Scholarship(,) would bring(ing) two US students to the Oslo summer school. Not only a good name was given to the project but also a stable organization set up and a financial foundation established. Indeed an efficient piece of work demonstrated by the Kubly-Bunns! And at the 1988 convention in(h) Helsinki Stefan Lundström could proudly report that the Madison Viking Scholarship had started that very year with Ilya Katsnelson and Eric Schoff as the first scholars at the Oslo summer school and afterwards visiting the (Kubly-Bunns) Viking families in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. It was also informed that the Madison Viking Foundation had been able to raise SEK 70.000 which was enough for one more summer. So a new-born fourth "ripple" was out on the water!
The Madison Viking concept was naturally based very much upon earlier ideas within the Viking programs. The main purpose was (said) to promote the development of the connections between the Scandinavian countries and the US by giving each summer two American students the possibility to stay and study in Scandinavia. An important part of the experience should be to travel around in the Scandinavian countries in order to visit businesses and families linked to the Viking Organization and backing up the scholarship. I
The Madison Viking concept was naturally based very much upon earlier ideas within the Viking programs. The main purpose was (said) to promote the development of the connections between the Scandinavian countries and the US by giving each summer two American students the possibility to stay and study in Scandinavia. An important part of the experience should be to travel around in the Scandinavian countries in order to visit businesses and families linked to the Viking Organization and backing up the scholarship. I
Brittingham Memorial Scholarship
At the 1984 convention in Madison it was not only reported that the Kubly-Bunns nourished (some) ideas of a continuation of the Viking scholarship program – (what just) something which, a couple of years later, (should develop) would materialize as (into) the Madison Viking program - but it was also announced that Baird Brittingham had established the Thomas E Brittingham and Margaret C Brittingham Memorial Scholarship. The idea was to have one scholar to the US each year from one of the nordic countries on a rotating scheme. The Norwegians were asked to make the selection this first year, 1984, and Tor Erik Engebretsen , graduate student in business administration , was elected. A new scholarship program was launched, a program that still is going on (2002) and even on a larger scope than from the beginning.
For some reasons, however, no scholar was selected for the scholastic years 1985-89. At the 1988 convention it was decided to suggest to the Brittingham family and to the University that the Brittingham Memorial scholarship should be resumed from the following year and (on. And) one year after, at the 1989 convention in Madison, Jeff Kunz (RV ' 70) could report that Baird Brittingham had confirmed that he was determined to ascertain that enough money be allocated out of the Brittingham Foundation at the University of Wisconsin to finance one scholarship per year forever! The idea of selecting someone on graduate level still prevailed, with the possibility to take his/her Master's during the one year stay, as had Tor Erik Engebretsen done.The writer had prepared a specification of the scholarship which the convention approved (of). According to this specification the applicant should be at graduate level at any university in the Nordic countries, could be of either sex and no more than 28 years of age. Sweden was the first country to select a scholar according to this resumed scheme and the next year, 1990, Anders Grönstedt was the first one to be chosen.
For some reasons, however, no scholar was selected for the scholastic years 1985-89. At the 1988 convention it was decided to suggest to the Brittingham family and to the University that the Brittingham Memorial scholarship should be resumed from the following year and (on. And) one year after, at the 1989 convention in Madison, Jeff Kunz (RV ' 70) could report that Baird Brittingham had confirmed that he was determined to ascertain that enough money be allocated out of the Brittingham Foundation at the University of Wisconsin to finance one scholarship per year forever! The idea of selecting someone on graduate level still prevailed, with the possibility to take his/her Master's during the one year stay, as had Tor Erik Engebretsen done.The writer had prepared a specification of the scholarship which the convention approved (of). According to this specification the applicant should be at graduate level at any university in the Nordic countries, could be of either sex and no more than 28 years of age. Sweden was the first country to select a scholar according to this resumed scheme and the next year, 1990, Anders Grönstedt was the first one to be chosen.
The contributions made to the University of Wisconsin-Madison by Brittingham and his family granted him an honorable place on the campus where his statue can be seen by all future generations of students. The Brittingham Viking Organization (BVO) is a private association made up of some 250 members from the Nordic countries and the United States, who all, in one way or another, have been benefiting from or supportive of the Brittingham International Scholarship Program, started by Thomas E. Brittingham Jr in 1952. Each year, the BVO holds a convention in one of 5 countries to make decisions about the activties and management of their organization. On average, 30 percent of BVO members are in attendance. The program has been and still is connected with the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
prestige. Founded in 1849, the university is a public, land-grant institution that provides on a single campus a complete spectrum of liberal arts studies and professional programs. UW-Madison currently ranks about fourth in size among the top ten universities academically in every study of scholarly reputation since 1910 and it is currently third in the country in volume of research activity, attracting more than $150 million a year in research support to Madison and the state of Wisconsin.
The objectives of the BVO are to strengthen international relations in general, especially those between the U.S. and the Nordic countries. In supporting the BVO, Tom Brittingham wanted by this to contribute, in his own small way, to the change of the American policy of isolationism that was prevailing after the two world wars.
The subsequent ten programs, "The Internationals,", "The Reverse Vikings," "The Kubly/Bunn Scholarship," "The Wisconsin Viking Scholarship," "The Madison Viking Scholarship," and the "Thomas E. And Margaret C. Brittingham Scholarship", "The Brittingham Ehrnrooth Viking Scholarship", "The Madison Ehrnrooth Viking Scholarship", "The WAA Viking Scholarship" and "The Madison CBS Viking Scholarship" have been and are still funded by Brittingham and University of Wisconsin funds as well as by the members of the B.V.O. and several other private donors. The funds that are actively available to the ongoing programs amount to some $500,000 (USD).
The recruitment of scholars has, in the years after the "Viking Program," been handled by representatives of the Brittingham family and the University of Wisconsin. Thier efforts are assisted by cooperation from former scholars and members of the BVO. The criteria that Tom Brittingham established were not only scholastic excellence, but also demonstrated leadership, personality, and spirit. In this respect, Tom Brittingham was ahead of his time when understanding and stressing the importance of the social qualities of a young person. These qualities are considered important today, followed by knowledge and experience. A great many people have been impressed by the Viking Scholarship Programs and their results and have made financial contributions, strengthening the Viking Network. Many of these people have been nominated Honorary Vikings by the BVO and are forever members of the Viking family.
In 1957 Tom Brittingham said, "The results of the Viking and International Programs will prove to be far more permanent and everlasting, as the ripples of influence expand in ever-enlarging circles, than any granite tombstone with which they might mark my grave in the years to come."
To ensure that Tom Brittingham's vivid, imaginative, and far sighted efforts for improved relations between people never end, the BVO decided at its 1998 Annual Convention in Copenhagen to establish an even stronger organization to initiate a fund-raising campaign to allow for the expansion of the Brittingham Scholarship Program. This campaign will be conducted in close cooperation with the University of Wisconsin and the Brittingham family.
In 1957 Tom Brittingham said, "The results of the Viking and International Programs will prove to be far more permanent and everlasting, as the ripples of influence expand in ever-enlarging circles, than any granite tombstone with which they might mark my grave in the years to come."
To ensure that Tom Brittingham's vivid, imaginative, and far sighted efforts for improved relations between people never end, the BVO decided at its 1998 Annual Convention in Copenhagen to establish an even stronger organization to initiate a fund-raising campaign to allow for the expansion of the Brittingham Scholarship Program. This campaign will be conducted in close cooperation with the University of Wisconsin and the Brittingham family.
