Captain Gunnar Olsborg (1909-2000) was a Puget Sound Pilot and ocean master mariner. He was born in Seattle, Washington, of Norwegian ancestry.
Olsborg began his career in 1925 and served in all categories of the Merchant Marine Deck Department for the next twenty years. During World War II, Olsborg served as a shipmaster on American Mail Line vessels sailing the South Pacific. After the war, Olsborg became a Puget Sound Pilot. As a pilot, he was involved with pension debates within the group.
Olsborg retired from the Puget Sound Pilots in 1982 but continued to deliver ships to and from Alaska, Honolulu, and Seattle. He was a longtime member of many organizations including the Norwegian Commercial Club, the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society, the Council of American Master Mariners, and the Leif Erickson League of the Seattle Area. As secretary of the Leif Erikson League, Olsborg played an important role in the installation of the Leif Erickson statue overlooking Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle, Washington. During World War II, Olsborg became sympathetic to the plight of Japanese-Americans. He later became an active member of the Japanese-American Citizens' League and campaigned aggressively for the presidential pardon of Tokyo Rose Iva Toguri. He served as the president of the congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Seattle. Olsborg also served on the Scandinavian Studies Advisory Board at the University of Washington from 1984 to 1988.
Aside from his career at sea, Olsborg had numerous public speaking engagements during his lifetime. He spoke on a variety of maritime topics, as well as Tokyo Rose Iva Toguri, Norwegian history, and the sinking of the
Olsborg married Evelyn Torwick in 1929 and they had two daughters. He died in Seattle in 2000.
Arranged into 6 series:
The papers include extensive speeches and subject files on Gunner Olsborg's maritime interests and Nordic heritage. Also included are materials from organizations with which he was affiliated, such as the Puget Sound Pilots Association, Immanuel Lutheran Church, the Norwegian Commercial Club, and the Seattle Seamens Center.
The papers are open to all users.
The creator's literary rights have been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Gift of Gunnar Olsborg, August 1972, and Olsborg's daughters, 2001.
Accession No. 1978-004 is a merger of Accessions 1978-001, 1978-002, and 1978-003. Processing was completed in 2002.
Olsborg’s personal papers include extensive general correspondence, speech files, and subject files. During the 1970s and 1980s he spoke regularly on topics of interest to the maritime and Scandinavian communities. His research and notes for speeches on Norway’s Independence Day, Leif Erikson Day, and his career at sea are contained here. Also included in this series are notes for speeches made on Pacific Northwest history and copies of numerous addresses made to commemorate wedding anniversaries. A large part of this series consists of subject files on topics of interest to Olsborg.
The Puget Sound Pilots Association series contains 26 Puget Sound Pilot biographies originally published in
The Immanuel Lutheran Church series includes organizational information, general correspondence, minutes, newsletters, reports, programs, and other materials pertaining to the church and its activities.
The Norwegian Commercial Club series includes a history of the club, membership rosters, and programs for general meetings.
The Seattle Seamen's Center series includes general correspondence, annual reports, and subject series pertaining to the events leading to the establishment of the Seattle United Maritime Ministries.