Eva Rodtwitt Papers
Eva Rodtwitt was a French professor and partner of English department Professor Emeritus Elizabeth Phillips. This collection includes Rodtwitt's personal documents such as applications for grants, her Master's proposal, schedules, diary entries, personal letters and photographs, as well as newspaper clippings, academic essays, interviews about Nazi occupation of Norway, speeches, and course materials for her French classes. Digitized photograph albums from Rodtwitt's life, dated 1905-1964, are available in our Digital Collections.
Biographical and Historical Note
Eva Rodtwitt was born in Oslo, Norway, on January 17, 1924, to Trygve and Frida Maria Rodtwitt. She received degrees in English (1946), History (1948), and French (1953) from the University of Oslo, where she also served as the chairwoman of the Student French Club and the Association of Oslo Lektors of French. Following graduation from the University of Oslo, she went on to teach French, English, and History at Kristiansand Katedralskole (Kristiansand Cathedral School) in Kristiansand, and Foss skole (Foss Upper Secondary School) in Oslo. Additionally, from 1962 to 1965, she assisted with the production of plays with the Dramatic Club at the school.
In order to study English, American culture, and American teaching methods and pedagogy in an immersive environment, Rodtwitt applied for and received the Smith Mundt scholarship for visiting international teachers and a Fulbright grant; she arrived in Washington D.C. in 1959. From 1966 to 1968, she was a visiting lecturer at Wake Forest College, where she later became a lecturer and taught courses primarily about French and French literature. At Wake Forest, Rodtwitt emphasized to her students the importance of learning "foreign languages," political awareness, and a commitment to world affairs.
Her partner, Elizabeth Phillips (1919-2008), was an English professor at WFU, and they lived together in the Reynolda campus historic neighborhood. Rodtwitt retired from Wake Forest in June 1997 but maintained many academic interests and other pursuits. As long as it was possible, she spent time each summer in Norway along the coast. Rodtwitt spent her later years in Winston Salem at Arbor Acres, where she passed away on March 3, 2020. A memorial service in her honor was held in Winston Salem in March 2023.
Collection Overview
This collection documents the life, work, and academic pursuits of Eva Rodtwitt. Materials include booklets, course notes taken both as a student and as a teacher, newspaper clippings, poetry and songs, photographs, photograph albums, scrapbooks, research materials, sheet music, and commercial slides of Norweigan landmarks. Both her professional academic pursuits as well as her personal ones are included.
Photograph albums from this collection, dated 1905-1964, are available in our Digital Collections, as are two articles Rodtwitt wrote about the German occupation of Norway during World War II.
Collection Arrangement
The collection is composed of 6 series: Series 1. Biographical and personal materials; Series 2. Correspondence; Series 3. Course notes; Series 4. Home videos; Series 5. Scrapbooks, photograph albums, and slides; and Series 6. Subject files.
Series 1. Biographical and personal materials contains photographs, interviews about the Nazi occupation of Norway, personal schedules, letters, and 8mm films, many of which are identified; due to equipment access, the films are not able to be viewed. The series also contains Rodtwitt's Master's degree proposal and Fulbright grant application, which includes an autobiographical essay of her educational career and transition to the United States. The series is arranged alphabetically.
Series 2. Correspondence includes letters to Rodtwitt's friends including Maya Angelou, her partner and WFU English professor Elizabeth Phillips, speeches to the faculty Humanities Club, and personal correspondences with family and friends in both the United States and Norway. The series is arranged alphabetically.
Series 3. Course notes contains tests, lesson notes, and assignments for French classes. It also contains notes from courses taken by Rodtwitt from fellow WFU professors, including Edwin G. Wilson and Elizabeth Phillips. The series is arranged alphabetically.
Series 4. Home videos contains eleven 8mm films, most of which Rodtwitt labeled. In some cases the labels are in Norweigan or are difficult to read. The series is arranged alphabetically, with films that don't have titles at the end.
Series 5. Scrapbooks, photograph albums, and slides contains materials collected or created by Rodtwitt. Some albums or scrapbooks are organized by subject matter, as indicated by the title; most are collected by date. They contain family and childhood memories as well as many of her travels, friendships, relationship with Phillips, and life in Winston Salem. The series is arranged chronologically, with undated items at the end.
Series 6. Subject files contains newspaper clippings on topics such as Maya Angelou, Edvard Munch, Obama, and global affairs. Other subjects include culture, socioeconomics, and language in Norway. The series also holds academic essays by others. The series is arranged alphabetically.
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Processed by Rachel Glock and Immanuel Eggers with assistance from Rebecca Petersen May and Stephanie Bennett, 2018 October
- Revision Description
- Revised by Stephanie Bennett and Finley Turner, Stephanie Bennett, 2019 September, 2023
- Revision Description
- Materials added and the finding aid revised by Jenna McAllister and Stephanie Bennett, 2023 May
- Access Restrictions
- This collection is open for use. 8mm films are currently not available for viewing.
- Copyright Notice
- The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
- Preferred Citation
- Eva Rodtwitt Papers (MS629), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.