The history of the Rolfe, Iowa, schools dates back to 1860 when Rolfe (at its former location three miles northeast of town) hired the first teacher in the county with classes held at the log house of William M. Hait.

The Independent School District of Rolfe was established at the current town location in 1884. Students met in a two-story building made of lumber from the courthouse at Old Rolfe - the original site of the Pocahontas County seat.

The first brick school was built in Rolfe in the 1890's. It was later destroyed, and for a period of time, classes convened in churches. Then a "general construction contract" was awarded in 1916, and in 1918, the rectangular brick section of the present building was erected. The current gymnasium and a block of classrooms were added in the 1950's followed by a new shop and locker rooms in the 1970's.

Rolfe held its last high school commencement service with diplomas presented to a class of 14 seniors in May of 1990. The following fall, Rolfe merged with the Pocahontas schools in a whole-grade sharing program with Rolfe maintaining an elementary school and hosting the district's middle school.

The collection consists of 432 color slides and descriptions of the slide contents documenting the 1956-1959 school years at the Rolfe, Iowa, Community School. Events documented include: the Junior Class Play, the Grand Operetta, the Senior Trip, Spring Band Concert, Senior Class Play, Senior Breakfast, sports, and Homecoming celebrations.

The slides were received from the donor in 12 boxes, boxes 1-9 and 11-13. Box 10 was skipped when the numbering system was created. The boxes contained the following descriptions: Box 1 - School 1956-1957 start of year: Algona Band Festival through the first half of Grade School Operetta - this frame ends with Three Bears; Box 2 -School 1956-1957 Operetta - Three Bears through the Manson Game in the District Tournament; Box 3 - School 1957 Webster City - stay all night, through the First pictures of our Spring Band Concert; Box 4 - School - Spring Band Concert, 1957 through the close of the school year, start 1957-1958 - Homecoming through football and basketball pictures and makeup for the Junior Class Play; Box 5 - School Junior Class Play Pictures -including all three acts December 16, 1957, start of Grade Operetta February 4, 1958; Box 6 - Operetta continued 1957-1958 presented February 4, 1958; Box 7 - Rolfe High School 1958 - Operetta continued, 1957-1958 school year, Mrs. Wilson Director, start of Senior Trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota April 1958; Box 8 - School 1958, Senior Trip, Junior-Senior Banquet, decorating and banquet; Box 9 - School 1958, Junior-Senior Banquet, bulletin boards, music program, spring, Alice’s room - start of Senior Play; Box 11 - Little League baseball through band trip, Homecoming 1958; Box 12 - Rolfe High School Homecoming Court 1958, Band at Hixon, South Dakota, start of Operetta December 1958; and Box 13 Rolfe High School Operetta December 1958, One Act Play 1959, Junior Class Play 1958-1959.

The slides are in their original order as received from the donor. The slides were received in 12 boxes, boxes 1-9 and 11-13. Box 10 was skipped when the numbering system was created. The slides from each box are designated by box and slide number (box 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 etc.) based on their order within the original boxes.

This collection also contains nine 400-foot color 16-mm films. The films document the Rolfe Community School (1950-1959). The films were separated from the slide portion of the collection and added to the Department’s film collection.