The William Rolfe collection is made up of 9 letters that Rolfe received from college friends and other personal acquaintances from May 22, 1845-January 7, 1850. In 4 letters, William G. Hammond, Jr., a classmate from Amherst College, reported on his social activities, studies, and vacation activities. He also provided advice and shared news of recent fraternity elections. Rolfe's other correspondents were Roger M. Sargent, who commented on life at Dartmouth College, college friends who signed themselves "W" and "Buck," and two women, M. H. Edwards of Lowell, Massachusetts, and Louisa L. Sweeney of New Orleans, Louisiana. These letters concern college life, local travel, religion, and other topics. Sargent gave Rolfe advice on his teaching career and mentioned a recent incident in which a group of students raided a brothel.
William James Rolfe was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on December 10, 1827, the son of John Rolfe and Lydia Davis. After attending Amherst College from 1845-1848, he was principal and master of several high schools in Massachusetts. He later became a prominent Shakespearean scholar and textbook author. He earned master's degrees from Harvard University (1859) and Amherst College (1865). On July 30, 1856, he married Eliza Jane Carew; their three children were John, George, and Charles. William James Rolfe died on July 7, 1910.
