Collection includes family materials, corporate records

The archives of prominent Minnesota corporation, Carlson, are now housed in the Elmer L. Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota.

Curtis L. Carlson (1914-1999), an alumnus of the University of Minnesota, founded the Gold Bond Stamp Company in 1938. The company, which is now called Carlson, grew and diversified and is one of the largest privately held companies in the world. The Curtis L. Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota was named for him.

The Carlson archives contain a variety of materials from corporate records to Carlson family photos and videos. More than 1,400 boxes of were delivered to the Elmer L. Andersen Library earlier this year and are now being organized and described by library staff for an online finding aid.

Included in the Carlson archives are materials related to:

• Gold Bond Stamps, stamp competitors, and media clippings about stamps
• Minnesuing Acres, the family’s property in Wisconsin that is now a corporate retreat
• Corporate business, such as financial records, annual reports, and meeting minutes
• The Radisson Hotel, Carlson Wagonlit, various restaurant holdings, and Carlson Family Trusts
• Corporate leaders, including Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Curtis Nelson

As part of the gift, the Carlson family made a generous donation allowing the Libraries to hire a curator to organize and describe the archive.

About the University Libraries Archives and Special Collections

The University Libraries’ special collections reflect numerous contributions to literature, the arts, architecture and design, commerce, and geography. It is one the largest special collections in the country, comprising over 100,000 linear feet of material and covering subjects ranging from the remarkable history of performing and literary arts to the acclaimed children’s literature collection to the unique history of computing.