Details

Collection Summary
Collection: 00931 - North Dakota Authors
Folder: 0000.000
Item: 00006
Title: Erling Nicolai Rolfsrud
Date: 1989
Summary: Head and shoulders portrait of Erling Nicolai Rolfsrud taken when he was inducted into North Dakota's Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame. [biography] Erling Nicolai Rolfsrud was born September 3, 1912, near Keene, North Dakota on the farm of his parents Nils and Rebecca (Heide) Rolfsrud. He attended Watford City High School and graduated from there in 1930. He briefly attended Minot State College and then taught rural schools for three years in McKenzie County. He attended Concordia College at Moorhead, Minnesota and received a Bachelor’s degree in 1936. Mr. Rolfsrud was on the staff of the North Dakota Education Association for several years, and in 1939 he began writing a column titled “Top Drawer” for its journal North Dakota Teacher, which he continued writing for 22 years. In 1941 he married Beverly Brown of Hettinger, N.D. That same year, he began teaching typing and shorthand classes at Concordia College, and headed the Department of Business Education at Concordia until 1946. After his tenure at Concordia, Mr. Rolfsrud spent eleven years as a freelance writer and produced over ten books. During this period, he lived near Deerwood and Alexandria, Minnesota, where he continued to reside until the time of his death. In 1952, he was a lyceum lecturer for one year in North Dakota schools, and spoke about North Dakota history, and “Extraordinary North Dakotans”. In 1957, he began teaching English at Alexandria High School, which he continued to do until 1978. Mr. Rolfsrud also taught an Adult Education Creative Writing course in Alexandria. Mr. Rolfsrud was a prolific writer who wrote articles and short stories, as well as newspaper columns for several North Dakota and Minnesota newspapers. He is an author who published 31 books from 1949-1993, many of which are about North Dakota and have North Dakota settings. He may best be remembered for his books on North Dakota. Some of his better known books include: Lanterns Over the Prairies, Book I (1949), Lanterns Over the Prairies, Book II (1950), Gopher Tails for Papa(1951), White Angakok (1952),Brother to the Eagle(1952) Extraordinary North Dakotans(1954), Boy from Johnny Butte, (1954) Cobber Chronicle(1966), Story of the Red River Land(1967), and Flickertail Stories (1989).In addition to his writing, Mr. Rolfsrud traveled the state of North Dakota giving speeches and lectures on his writing and the state’s history. Mr. Rolfsrud also taught a Bethel Bible class, and was a church organist for forty years. In 1965, Mr. Rolfsrud was selected as one of the 75 “Heroes” in North Dakota’s history, and in 1989 he was inducted into North Dakota’s Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame. Rolfsrud was recipient of the Red River Valley Historical Society's Pioneer Historian Award and of the Concordia College Alumni Achievement Award in 1974. In 1991, the Red River Valley Heritage Society presented him with their Lake Agassiz Publication Award. Mr. Rolfsrud died August 21, 1994 at Alexandria, Minnesota. He is survived by his wife and six children.
Red ID: PH_I_153494 Image ID: 172737 Image Notes: 00931-00006

Collection: 00931 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: North Dakota Authors
Date: 1970-1996

Summary: Collection of photographs of North Dakota authors used in exhibit on North Dakota authors or taken during the opening of the Language of the Land: Journey into Literary North Dakota presentation at the ND Heritage Center. The "Language of the Land" traveling exhibition was seen at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck from Feb. 4 to March 27, 1994. It was sponsored by the North Dakota Center for the Book and the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Using funds from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund and additional funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council, the North Dakota Community Foundation and Maxwell's Books, the sponsors presented weekly lectures by North Dakota authors. The speakers were Kathie Ryckman Anderson, Larry Woiwode, David Solheim, Larry Watson, Louise Erdrich, Lois Phillips Hudson, Kathleen Norris and Richard Critchfield. Each lecture was taped for broadcast on both radio and television, and interviews with the authors were aired on Prairie Public Radio and community access television. A state literary map depicting 10 North Dakota writers and listing more than 100 writers who have either lived in North Dakota or written about the state was compiled and made available. A bibliography of North Dakota authors was also compiled and made available. For information, write the North Dakota Center for the Book, North Dakota State Library, 604 E. Boulevard, Bismarck, ND 58505-0800.

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