Active in student politics

Salama Simonen and her brother Seppo were active participants in the founding of the Kymenlaakso student nation at the beginning of the1930s. Salama Simonen was nominated to the student nation’s regulations committee – established at its inaugural meeting on September 18, 1933 – and tasked with formulating the regulations for the nascent organisation. The regulations were approved and adopted in 1934.

The Academic Karelia Society exerted a strong influence over undergraduate life in the 1920s and 1930s. The society dominated both the board of the Student Union and its newspaper Ylioppilaslehti. The society enjoyed particularly strong support among the northern student nations and the new Keskisuomalainen and Kymenlaakso student nations. Furthermore, Academic Karelia Society activism was significantly stronger in the Kymenlaakso student nation than in southern Finnish student nations. In addition to work in her own student nation, Salama Simonen also worked at the sister organisation of the AKS, the Academic Women’s Karelia Society.

In 1934 Simonen belonged to the board of the Student Union as its only female member. The total number of women on the board of the Student Union throughout the entire 1930s, numbered less than ten, although the proportion of female undergraduates had grown considerably since the 1920s.

Sources:
Klinge, Matti. Ylioppilaskunnan historia IV 1918–1960 (‘The history of the Student Union IV 1918–60’). WSOY. Porvoo 1968.
Vasara, Marja. Kymenlaakson osakunnan puolivuosisata (‘50 years of the Kymenlaakso student nation’). Sanomalehti Oy Kotka. Kotka 1983.
Vesikansa, Jyrki. Simonen (1800). National Biography online publication. Accessed November 19, 2015

By Written by Tiia Nimelä, translated by Matthew Billington

Salama Hirvonen

Salama Hirvonen (nee Simonen)
Born August 1, 1910 Mikkeli. Died January 4, 2007, Helsinki

Master of Arts 1934, University of Helsinki

Journalist, Uusi Suomi, 1938–75
Instructor in newspaper journalism 1949–53 and acting lecturer 1955–56, School of Social Sciences (now University of Tampere)
Journalist, Aamulehti, 1935–37

Board member, Union of Journalists in Finland, 1946–56
Secretary, Finnish Association of Journalists, 1943–74

Edited publications:
Puntila, L.A. & Waris, Paavo G. & Simonen, Salama (ed.). Suomen kulttuurirahasto 1939–1949 (‘The Finnish Cultural Foundation 1939–49,’ 1949).
Suomalainen sanomalehtimiesliitto 75 vuotias.(‘The Finnish Association of Journalists at 75,’ 1982).
Aitovieri, Hilma. Lotta Kuosmasen sota (‘Lotta Kuomanen’s war,1988’).

Translations:
Stockley, Cynthia. Siniset turkoosit 1944 (Blue Aloes: Stories of South Africa, 1918)
Vulpius, Christian August. Rinaldo Rinaldini: kuuluisa rosvoromaani, 1949 (Rinaldo Rinaldini, the Robber Captain, 1797)
Ahlström, Alarik & Westman, Ivar. Oy. Yleinen insinööritoimisto, Hki, 1912-1952 (‘YIT Helsinki, 1921–52,’ 1951)
Geissler, Horst Wolfram. Rakas Augustin (‘Beloved Augustin,’ 1958).

Photo: Iltalehti
Written by Tiia Niemelä
Translated by Matthew Billington