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If you didn’t attend or teach at Rolfe High School in Rolfe, Iowa, during the time span of fall of 1965 through spring of 1983, or aren’t a family member of someone who did, you probably are wondering who in the heck this post is about.
David Spaulding and his nephew, David Althaus, in front of the metallic Mothman Statue*** located just across from Ohio in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. July 2009. (Click photo to enlarge.)
On the other hand, for anyone who did attend or teach at Rolfe High School during that time period, the name “Mr. Spaulding” conjures up memories including phrases such as “best teacher I ever had,” “pen-clicking,” “best teacher I ever had,” “clock-watching,” “best teacher I ever had,” “jokester,” “best teacher I ever had,” “strict” and “best teacher I ever had.” * **
Over the past couple of months I’ve been involved in at least five conversations where I’ve heard people say these and/or similar comments. Also, so many of us want to know about him on a more personal basis…um…since we are all grown up now. (Sort of!)
A month ago I called Mr. Spaulding. When he answered, I didn’t know…could I even bring myself to call him Dave? David? (You may think this is humorous, but I really was nervous!) After I told him who I was and about this blog, and the reason behind it (to promote prints of my mother’s watercolors for the library fund-raiser) I told him what I was really after.
I asked him if he would mind writing something for the blog and/or answering some of my questions about him. In his gentle voice, with some humor along the way, he asked that I give him some ideas.
I later emailed a bunch of questions/topics to him. We’ve had fun talking and emailing since. He is a little skeptical about my putting his information on the web. He wonders who would ever read it. I reminded him that there are so many of us Rolfe-ites who speak of him with such appreciation (and memories of strictness!), and that I think people would really like to hear from him.
He’s a pretty busy guy with recent road trips to the Badlands, Ohio, and, coming up, Minnesota. But, he’s game to let us “know” him a little better, giving us insight about his life including during those years of teaching in that aromatic chemistry lab. As he emails me periodically with answers to my questions, I’ll post his responses.
If you want to write anything in the “comments” section below, maybe even your own question(s), I’m sure he’d enjoy hearing from you. (If you do comment/ask, using your first and last name — and maiden if you are a married female — as well as when you attended/taught at Rolfe High School would be helpful.)
I’ll post Mr. Spaulding’s initial response within the next few days.
* While at Rolfe High School, Mr. Spaulding taught Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, and Senior Math.
** Other teachers’ names from the ’65 through ’83 period have also surfaced fondly (some with more fondness than others!) in conversations.
*** Click here to learn more about the Mothman Statue.
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Marion Gunderson Art (and the Farmer's Daughter) 