The Finseth papers were donated by Robert Andresen on September 12, 1991. Leonard Finseth's son, Alverve Finseth, gave the papers to Andresen after his father's death in June 1991. Andresen was to sort and inventory the records, which he did, leaving handwritten sheets of song titles in each tape box. After Robert Andresen learned he had terminal cancer he readied his vast collection of regional ethnic music for donation to the Mills Music Library at the behest of folklorist and friend James P. Leary. Andresen died on March 10, 1995, and in June of that year Leary and WMA Curator Steve Sundell transferred the collection to Mills Music Library.
