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Jack Scavenius papers

Guide to the Jack Scavenius papers
1920-1976

Collection number: HMC-0491.
Creator: Scavenius, Jack.
Title: Jack Scavenius papers.
Dates: 1920-1976.
Volume of collection: 1.1 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are primarily in English but some are in Danish.
Collection summary: Papers of a pilot and diplomat in Anchorage.

Biographical note:
Jack Frederick Scavenius was born in Denmark in 1904. He studied at the University of Copenhagen before moving to the United States in 1927. He earned a law degree from the University of Chicago in 1954. Scavenius served as an Alaskan bush pilot from 1938-1942, and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945. From 1946 to 1950, Scavenius served as the owner and operator of McKinley Airways, in Anchorage. He served as a city councilman for Anchorage from 1948 to 1949, and was vice consul for Denmark from 1957 into the 1960s. In addition, Scavenius was a member of various professional, civic, and volunteer organizations. Jack Scavenius died in 1976.

Collection description:
This collection contains papers and photographs related to the life of Jack Scavenius.

Arrangement: The collection is grouped by type of document: papers, photographs, artifacts, and audio recordings.

Digitized copies: Two photographs from the collection have been digitized and placed online in Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.

Rights note: Archives & Special Collections does not hold copyright to these materials.

Preferred citation: Jack Scavenius papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.

Separated materials: Some books from the collection have been placed into the Rare Books section of the Library.

Acquisition note: The Scavenius papers were donated to the Archives by Dr. Helen Beirne in 2000.

Processing information: This collection was arranged and described by Kathleen Hertel in 2000. The scrapbook was copied and disintegrating original newspaper clippings removed and destroyed. Photograph albums were disassembled and photographs sorted mostly by topic. The guide was reformatted, updated, and edited to include additional undescribed content in 2013 by Arlene Schmuland. Publications were removed to be placed in Rare Books. A large Danish flag was removed from the collection.

Container list:

Box/Folder Description Dates
1/1 Death certificate 1976 April 3
1/2 Alaska House Concurrent Resolution 126 honoring Jack Scavenius, and related documents 1976 April 9
1/3 Marriage license application 1949 August
1/4 Awards and certifications 1944-1964
1/5 Education-related documents 1924-1954
1/6 Passports 1944-1965
1/7 Bankbook (in Danish) 1924-1955
1/8 Income tax return 1949
1/9 Professional correspondence 1950-1976
1/10 Correspondence and documents in Danish 1924-1955
1/11 L. V. Castner Inc. incorporation documents 1946
1/12 Newpaper clippings undated
1/13 Event programs in Danish undated
OSF1 Maps, mostly Denmark, one Canadian Pacific Railways undated
1/14 McKinley Airways scrapbook copy and originals of non-newspaper contents 1920-1949
1/15 Unidentified photographs from albums, mostly likely Denmark and other European countries, 217 black and white prints undated
1/16 Album photographs from Gakona, Chitina, Valdez, Kennecott, and Anchorage, 79 black and white prints 1940-1943
1/17 McKinley Airways photographs from albums, 31 black and white prints 1947-1949
1/18 Alaska related images from albums, 23 black and white prints undated, 1930
1/19 Boy Scout event (probably Denmark) photographs from albums, 4 black and white prints undated
1/20 Family home in Denmark from albums, 13 photographs and prints of drawings undated
1/21 Unidentified portrait photographs from albums, 25 black and white prints undated
1/22-23 Unidentified framed portrait photographs, 6 black and white prints undated
OSF1 Unidentified portrait photograph, 1 black and white print undated
1/24 Unidentified loose photographs, many probably Denmark, 76 black and white prints 1920-1940
1/25 Postcards, 12 black and white, one color undated
1/26 Unidentified negatives, 96 black and white negatives undated
1/27 Metal box containing a Masonic apron undated
1/27 Cardboard box containing two delegate pins, a patch, and three dogtags undated
1/28 American Legion hat undated
1/29 Audiotape recordings, unidentified 1975

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