Person:Berend Fridsma (2)

Professor of Germanic languages at Calvin College. The collection includes extensive correspondence; research materials; newsletters, i.e. Friese stemmen, Frisian roundtable; articles; Frisian/Friesland history materials; poems; class notes; speeches; psalms, hymns and songs translated into Frisian; essays; Frisian theater production materials; annual Frisian church services, i.e., Fryske Tsjerketsjinst materials including the program and sermon for the last Frisian worship service in Grand Rapids, Michigan, held 21 May 2006, in honor of Fridsma; photographs; diaries; scrapbooks; dissertation; various translations into the Frisian language; autobiographical and genealogy materials; manuscripts of books written by Fridsma, i.e., Never a Broken Bond: 60 Years of Frisian Activity in America. The Memoirs of Bernard J. Fridsma, Sr.; Nea Waard Dy Feste Taaie Ban Ferbratsen; Introduction to Frisian; and Twaklank: In Mannich Fersen, Oarspronklik en Oerset; and motion picture film of the 1948 visit to Friesland. [See also Frisian Information Bureau, Coll. 422; Gysbert Japiks: Christian Frisian Society, Coll. 421; and the Campus Titles Database.]

Biographical Note Bernard J. Fridsma was born on January 15, 1905 in Skearnegoutum, West Friesland. Fridsma's father was a turfskipper, and as a little boy, Fridsma grew up on his father's barge transporting peat all over Friesland. At the age of 6, Fridsma and his family immigrated to the United States, settling in Passaic, New Jersey. After graduating from high school and working at an oilcloth factory for a while, Fridsma received a scholarship to Calvin College. He took a two-year teacher training course, afterwards began to teach 7th and 8th grade in New Jersey. He returned to Calvin to receive his B.A. in 1929 with a major in English. After graduation, he received a teaching position at Grand Rapids Christian High. There he taught Latin and German and occasionally French, Spanish, and modern European history as well.

     In 1946 Fridsma accepted a faculty position at his alma mater, Calvin College. He was hired as an Associate Professor German, and later was a pointed chairman of the Modern Languages Department in 1958. During this time, he also went on to further his own education at University of Michigan, earning his master's and doctorate degrees. Fridsma also kept busy by serving in some of the college's committees, including the Education Policy Committee, Publications Committee, and the Library Committee. Fridsma still found time to write articles for various Netherlands publications as well as The Banner, Calvin Forum, and the Young Calvinist.

     Fridsma's most notable interest was in Frisian language, history, and culture. He became interested in his homeland as a teenager, and before he was even married he was the president of the Frisian Society of Grand Rapids, and later served as its vice-president. He was also co-founder and director of the Frisian Information Bureau, which ran a monthly bulletin called Frisian News Items. Fridsma even wrote his own textbook to teach Frisian at Calvin College called, "Introduction to Frisian" because no textbook on this subject existed. He also got the honor of representing Friesland for a Bicentennial presentation to Gerald R. Ford in the Oval Office.

A street in Scharnegoutum, Friesland, has been named after Professor Bernard Fridsma.

   Fridsma retired from Calvin College in 1970, but still continued to teach Frisian. Once he retired he enjoyed travelling through Europe, including Friesland. On October 12, 2005 Bernard J. Fridsma passed away. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Van Dyke. They were survived by their three sons Bernard Jr., James, and Charles.

Source: Calvin College Archives

Crazy coincidence: While at Calvin College, Bernard Fridsma dated Adrianna Wattez, but later dated and married Dorothy Van Dyke. On August 14, 1993, Steven Paul Fridsma, grandson of Bernard Fridsma's brother, Klaas Fridsma, married Mary Wolters, grand-daughter of Adrianna Wattez. They did not know about the possible earlier connection between the families until about 5 years later.

1. ↑ Geboorte, in Wymbritseradeel, Friesland, Netherlands. Burgerlijke Stand
   Aktenummer: 15, 16 Jan 1905.

   Scharnegoutum gem. Wymbritseradeel
   Geboortedatum: 15 januari 1905
   Aangiftedatum: 16 januari 1905
   Aktenummer: 15
   Kind: Berend
   Vader: Jouke Fridsma, 46
   Moeder: Hiltje Bakker

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 SSN: 368-34-5569, in Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index: Death Master File, database. (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service).

   Bernard J Fridsma