Bernt Wills Papers, 1940-1976

Bernt Wills Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: Bernt Wills Papers, 1940-1976

ID: OGLMC510

Primary Creator: Wills, Bernt L. (1909-1985)

Extent: 5.0 Linear Feet

Subjects: University of North Dakota - Faculty

Languages: English

Abstract

1909-1985; UND Department of Geography

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Bernt Wills Papers have been divided into six series:

Series 1: Personal Materials

Series 2: UND Department of Geography

Series 3: Reports and Speeches

Series 4: Organizations

Series 5: Course Materials

Series 6: North Dakota: The Northern Prairie State

Thirty two photographs were separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets.

Collection Historical Note

Bernt Lloyd Wills was born on July 24, 1909 in Drake, N.D. He grew up in Central Montana, but graduated from high school in Casselton, North Dakota. He taught and administered public schools in North Dakota from 1928 to 1942. In 1934, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Valley City State Teachers College in Valley City, North Dakota. In 1937 he received a Master of Arts degree from Montana State University, Missoula, Montana. He earned a Ph. D from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois in 1953.

Wills started teaching geography at the University of North Dakota in 1943. From 1944-1946, he served in the United States Navy. Upon his return in 1946, he was named chairman of an independent geography department at UND. In 1963, he wrote a book entitled North Dakota: The Northern Prairie State. He stepped down from his chairmanship in 1964 to resume as a full time professor. In 1967, he wrote a second book entitled North Dakota Geography and Early History. Upon completion of the book, he left for Australia and New Zealand for a year long sabbatical. He was awarded the Alumni Association Award for outstanding teaching in 1976.

Dr. Wills served as National Vice President of Gamma Theta Upsilon, a national professional geographic fraternity, from 1953-1955 and as National President from 1955-1957. He was the first president of the Association of North Dakota Geographers, and also served as an editor of “The Bulletin,” for ten years. He was also a member of the Association of American Geographers, National Council for Geographic Education, North Dakota Academy of Science, and was listed in Who’s Who in American Men of Science.

Wills was involved in many activities around the community, including the Grand Forks Ballet Company, the Grand Forks School Board, and the Boy Scouts of America. He also belonged to Wesley United Methodist Church and served as a youth leader, a lay speaker, and as a member of its board of directors.

On September 25, 1937 he married Evelyn Whitt in Ferdig, Montana. They had two children, James and Karen. Bernt Wills died on July 28, 1985 in Grand Forks.

Subject/Index Terms

University of North Dakota - Faculty

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Method: Donation; Acc.78-546

Related Publications:

Books written by Bernt Wills:

North Dakota Geography and Early History. Grand Forks, 1967.

North Dakota, the Northern Prairie State. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, 1975.

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Bernt Wills Papers. OGLMC 510, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid migrated to Archon in October 2014.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal Materials],
[Series 2: UND Department of Geography],
[Series 3: Reports and Speeches],
[Series 4: Organizations],
[Series 5: Course Materials ],
[Series 6: North Dakota: The Northern Prairie State],
[Photographs :],
[All]

Series 5: Course Materials

This series includes information that Wills collected during his time at UND as a professor. The materials in this series includes summer institutions, curriculum, lecture notes, and information on individual countries. Also included are student papers, information on North Dakota, and Geography for Teachers.

Sub-Series 1: Summer Institute

Box 2

Folder 17: In-Service Institutes, 1963-1966
Folder 18: Institute field trips (Northern Minnesota), 1962
Folder 19: Institute field trips (Northern Minnesota), 1962
Folder 20: Summer Institute, 1964, 1965
Folder 21: Summer Institute, 1964, 1965
Folder 22: Summer Institute, 1964, 1965
Folder 23: Summer Institute Budgets, 1961-1963
Folder 24: Summer Institute

Sub-Series 2: Curriculum

Box 2

Folder 25: Conservation of Resources booklets, lecture notes, exams
Folder 26: Geography for Teachers, Correspondence, 1947, 1960-1962, course outline
Folder 27: Geography for Teachers, Correspondence, 1947, 1960-1962, course outline
Folder 28: Geography of Europe
Folder 29: Geography of North America geologic bibliography (INC), exams
Folder 30: Geography of North America geologic bibliography (INC), exams
Folder 31: Geography of North Dakota, course outline, lecture notes
Folder 32: Human Geography, handouts, notes
Folder 33: Meteorology, exams, lecture notes
Folder 34: Meteorology, exams, lecture notes
Folder 35: Political Geography, reading list and exams
Folder 36: Physical/ College Geography, exams
Folder 37: Physical Geography, lab exercises and lecture notes
Folder 38: Physical Geography, lab exercises and lecture notes
Folder 39: Physiography (Clark University), lecture notes, 1940-1943
Folder 40: Physiography (Clark University), lecture notes, 1940-1943
Folder 41: Physiography (Northwestern), outline
Folder 42: Political Geography, notes and exams
Folder 43: Settlement Geography, lecture notes, handouts
Folder 44: Settlement Geography, lecture notes, handouts
Folder 45: Urban Geography
Folder 46: World Regional Geography

Sub-Series 3: Lecture Notes

Box 2

Folder 47: Corn and forage crops
Folder 48: Earth in space
Folder 49: Fiber culture
Folder 50: Forests, note cards
Folder 51: Glaciers, note cards
Folder 52: Grasslands and Grazing, note cards
Folder 53: Life forms- plant and animal
Folder 54: Lowlands
Folder 55: Manufacturing, Nature and Distributions
Folder 56: Outline

Box 3

Folder 1: Metals, outline, note cards
Folder 2: Minnkota power coop.
Folder 3: Missouri River, 1962
Folder 4: Oceania, notes
Folder 5: Petroleum Industry
Folder 6: Rotation and revolution, earth is space
Folder 7: Rubber
Folder 8: Soils
Folder 9: Transportation
Folder 10: Water supply, Correspondence, 1958
Folder 11: Windchill, 1958-1959

Sub-Series 4: Individual Countries

Box 3

Folder 12: Australia Film Correspondence, 1976
Folder 13: No folder - misnumbered
Folder 14: Australia/New Zealand Lecture Notes and Course Outline
Folder 15: Australia/New Zealand Map Test and Drop Quiz
Folder 16: Australia/New Zealand Final Exams
Folder 17: Australia/New Zealand Film Correspondence, 1969-1975
Folder 18: India; Pakistan; Ceylon
Folder 19: Japan
Folder 20: Korea
Folder 21: Middle America
Folder 22: South America
Folder 23: South America
Folder 24: United Nations
Folder 25: United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR)

Sub-Series 5: Student Papers

Box 3

Folder 26: The Alps of Switzerland (Clark University)
Folder 27: The American Food Problem
Folder 28: Audiovisual resources for developing map skills
Folder 29: Australia and New Zealand, 1970, 1976
Folder 30: Better intergroup relations through the geography of foods
Folder 31: Bibliographies (assorted)
Folder 32: Central Place Theory
Folder 33: China: Geopolitic in the development
Folder 34: Cotton Manufacturing in New England
Folder 35: Democratic Ideals and Reality
Folder 36: The Earth's age
Folder 37: Geographic Determinism
Folder 38: Geography
Folder 39: Geography for the blind
Folder 40: Japan
Folder 41: Mapping is fun, 1961
Folder 42: Mesabi Range, 1961, 1963
Folder 43: Method of Procedure for a field trip
Folder 44: Metals, Individual Research
Folder 45: The Moon, eclipse, and tide
Folder 46: North Americas, Geography of
Folder 47: Physical- Soil and Water, 1961
Folder 48: Political Geography
Folder 49: Regional Geography, 1963, 1970, 1972
Folder 50: South Vietnam
Folder 51: Southeastern Asia
Folder 52: The Sundowners
Folder 53: The Twenty-first Century
Folder 54: Territorial Waters
Folder 55: U.S.S.R.
Folder 56: Student Papers: 1969
Folder 57: Student Papers: 1970
Folder 58: Student Papers: 1971
Folder 59: Student Papers: Undated
Folder 60: Student Evaluations: Undated

Sub-Series 6: North Dakota

Box 3

Folder 61: Badlands, 1961
Folder 62: Cities and Counties, 1962, 1963
Folder 63: Conservation of Resources
Folder 64: Coal Gasification, 1974
Folder 65: Geography, North Dakota
Folder 66: Guy, William, Governor of North Dakota
Folder 67: Lake Agassiz
Folder 68: North Dakota, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1969
Folder 69: Red River Valley, 1961, 1962
Folder 70: State Parks; recreation/ tourism, 1947, 1961, 1964
Folder 71: Topography of a slope region

Sub-Series 7: Geography for Teachers

Box 3

Folder 72: College Freshman, Lesson Plan, 1976
Folder 73: Geography Teaching of 1963
Folder 74: High School
Folder 75: High School, Lesson Plan
Folder 76: Junior High
Folder 77: Lesson Plans/ Teachers Requirements
Folder 78: Primary Grades
Folder 79: Primary Grades, Activities, 1961
Folder 80: Primary Grades, Lesson Plans, 1961
Folder 81: Primary Grades, Mapping
Folder 82: Primary Grades, Weather
Folder 83: Visual Aides- need for

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