Introduction

Biography

Ernst was the son of Jo­han­nes Ol­son and Jo­han­na An­ders­dot­ter Grahn. His fa­mi­ly emi­grat­ed to Am­eri­ca in 1875.

After at­tend­ing Au­gus­ta­na Col­lege, Rock Is­land, Il­li­nois, he worked for Swed­ish news­pa­pers, and for a pub­lish­er in Chi­ca­go. He served as ed­it­or of the Au­gus­ta­na Book Con­cern, 1911–49.

He wrote four orig­in­al hymns, and trans­lat­ed ov­er 30 more. He was a mem­ber of the Au­gus­ta­na Hym­nal Com­mit­tee, which pub­lished its Hymn­al and Or­der of Serv­ice in 1925. Ma­ny of his trans­la­tions ap­peared there, but his trans­lat­or cre­dits ap­peared in the in­dex ra­ther on the in­di­vi­du­al pag­es.

Olson was al­so on the Joint Com­mis­sion on a Com­mon Hym­nal, which led to the pub­li­cation of the Serv­ice Book and Hym­nal in 1958.

In 1948, the King of Swe­den made Ol­son a knight of the Roy­al Or­der of Va­sa.

Works

• History of the Swedes in Il­li­nois (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Eng­berg-Holm­berg Pub­lish­ing, 1908)
• En Bok­han­dels­his­to­ria
• The His­to­ry of the Au­gus­ta­na Book Con­cern: Pub­lish­ers to the Au­gus­ta­na Sy­nod, 1933