Erling N. Rolfsrud Papers, 1939-1993

Collection

Identifier: Mss 194

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Erling N. Rolfsrud Papers consist primarily of his correspondence, manuscripts, and research material related to his published works. In addition there are copies of his final publications, numerous articles published in newspapers and magazines, and some personal family papers. The Rolfsrud Papers have been arranged into seven series: Topical, Correspondence, Professional files, Manuscripts, Articles, Biographical files, Published books supporting material, and Published works. An earlier donation of papers was processed in 1983. Consult the finding aid to that collection (Mss 64) for the scope and content of those papers. The Topical Series (1946-1991) is general research files developed by Mr. Rolfsrud. They are maintained in his original arrangement which is alphabetical by topic. They were used by him in his writing and cover a wide variety of subjects. The contents of each are quite varied and may include newspaper clippings, articles, booklets, etc. which Rolfsrud found in other sources. These files do not contain original writings by him. Most of them deal with North Dakota, although there are some which are Minnesota related. Consult the box listing for the specific topics covered. The Correspondence Series (1935-1994) is a mixture of personal correspondence, fan mail, thank you letters, book orders, and research requests. It is arranged alphabetically by the correspondent, following Rolfsrud’s original order. It covers a vast array of topics documenting Rolfsrud’s writing career. The Professional Files Series (1936-1992) is papers which relate to the business aspect of Rolfsrud’s writing, such as book store listings, copyright information, and correspondence with publishers. In addition, this series also contains some of Mr. Rolfsrud’s teaching materials and assignments, speaking notes, and concert programs from Mr. and Mrs. Rolfsrud’s concerts and recitals. The Manuscripts Series (1936-1958) is a collection of old manuscripts, articles, short stories and poems, along with the manuscripts for his unpublished books Pipes for Praise, Shattered Shackles, and This is the Day. Some poems and manuscripts credit the author as “Eric Bard”, which is a pseudonym occasionally used by Erling Rolfsrud between 1947 and 1952. The Article Series (1945-1994) is a collection of published magazine articles and newspaper columns which appeared in several regional newspapers and magazines. There is an initial series of such articles organized alphabetically by title. Following are articles found in a wide variety of magazines. He also had a syndicated column which was published in various North Dakota and Minnesota newspapers. These are organized by newspaper and then chronological. The Biographical Files Series (1895-1988) is a collection of biographical research on people who are almost exclusively from North Dakota. There is an emphasis on people who are either noteworthy or heroic. This research is primarily correspondence either from the person directly, or from relatives of the person. The files also include draft sketches done by Mr. Rolfsrud. The series is arranged alphabetically by name. Consult the box listing for specific names. The Published Books Supporting Material Series (1945-1993) consists of all material related to Rolfsrud’s published works, arranged alphabetically by book title. Included are manuscripts, research, book publicity and reviews, publishing and printing agreements, and correspondence. The Published Works Series includes final published copies (one each) for fifteen of Rolfsrud’s books. Most of them are later reprints of his works and not original editions.

Dates

1939-1993

Creator

Rolfsrud, Erling Nicolai, 1912-1994. (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

Copyright is held by the Institute for Regional Studies, except for book manuscripts which are retained by Mrs. Rolfsrud.

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, 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 Evansville High School, transferred to Alexandria High School, which he continued to teach 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 19491993, 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 Red River Land (1967), Flickertail Stories(1989), and Petticoat Pioneer (1993). 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. Mr. Rolfsrud died August 21, 1994 at Alexandria, Minnesota. He was survived by his wife and six children.