Alumni and supporters connected to the college completely funded the $310,000 building project, a testament of devotion to their alma mater. Ole Rolvaag, Peter Olai Holland and Former President Boe worked for 20 years to expand the library's 40,000 volumes beyond Steensland Hall's packed shelves.
Dressed in limestone, slate tile and copper flashing, Rolvaag Memorial Library was the sixth building on campus to carry the classic legacy of Norman-Gothic architecture. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the library served as a new beacon for scholarship, ranking second best in Minnesota. The library carries this legendary esteem to this day.
While the crowd gathered on the steps of the two-year-old library and the building was finally dedicated in honor of professor and literary genius Ole Rolvaag.