Eugene Van Cleef papers

Eugene Van Cleef, Ph.D., was born January 17, 1887 in Chicago, Illinois. After graduation from the University of Chicago in 1908, Van Cleef was employed as Special Investigator with Rand McNally and Company, Chicago, until 1911. He was Instructor in Geography at State Teachers College, Duluth, Minnesota, from 1911 to 1918, where he became interested in Finnish culture and Finland. His doctorate was obtained from Clark University in 1926. He spent 1919 to 1921 in the foreign trade department of Van Cleef Brothers, Chicago. In 1921 he joined the faculty of the Department of Geography, The Ohio State University where he spent a long and distinguished career, retiring in 1957. He taught geography and business. He published books and articles on Finland, foreign trade, and geography including The Finn in America. Duluth, Minn.: Finnish Daily Publishing, 1918. Things Are Not Always What They Seem for the Economic Geographer, Vol. 45, No. 1 (Jan., 1969), pp. 41-44 published by Clark University.

He was twice decorated by the Finnish government: in 1936, the order of the White Rose of Finland, Knight, Class I, and in 1941, the order of the White Rose of Finland, Commander, Class II.

He died November 7, 1973 in Columbus, Ohio.

One professional publication described him in this way: To American geographers one of their profession emerges as the single most important scholar of the past century who has contributed to the knowledge of Finland, Finns, and Finnish Americans. That is Professor Eugene Van Cleef who taught at Ohio State University and conducted field and library research on Finns and Finland for nearly five decades. To geographers in Finland this same individual has been the American they can identify with as having conducted numerous detailed studies on Finland and Finns in the United States and Canada. The high regard for which this individual was held in both Finland and the U.S. was attributed to his numerous scholarly articles and a 1929 book on Finland, but also his efforts to assist victims of World War Two during 1939–40 when he headed the Ohio efforts of the Finnish Relief Fund. For his scholarly and humanitarian efforts he was honored by the Government of Finland. He also was elected as a corresponding member of the Geographical Society of Finland.

See also archived papers: http://www.amphilsoc.org/library/mole/v/vancleef.pdf