Garritt E. Roelofs

Garritt E. Roelofs (June 6, 1900 – November 21, 1976) was an American educator, newspaper founder, and politician.

Early life and education Garritt E. Roelofs was born to parents Evert Jans Roelofs and Jessie de Vries on June 6, 1900. Both of his parents were of Dutch descent. After attending country school near his hometown of Prinsburg, Minnesota, Roelofs moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to further his education at Calvin Preparatory School and Calvin College, graduating in 1918 and 1921, respectively. In 1919, Roelofs was a student at the University of Minnesota, and during 1922, he was enrolled at the University of Michigan.

Career in education and media Roelofs began his career in education by serving for two years as a principal at a Christian grammar school in Edgerton, Minnesota. He then taught English literature at a Christian school in Holland, Michigan, for one year, before moving to Western Academy in Hull, Iowa, for the next eight years. For the last four years of his tenure at Western, Roelofs was also principal of the school. In 1930, Roelofs founded the Sioux Center News, and served as the newspaper's editor and publisher. From 1938, Roelofs worked for the United States Department of Agriculture as North Central Regional Information Officer. In 1943, he joined the Office of Price Administration as an adviser for agricultural rationing and pricing policies. During the occupation of Japan following World War II, Roelofs was employed for four years by Douglas MacArthur's staff as a civilian consultant specializing in natural resources. Roelofs returned to Japan in 1952 as a public affairs officer in the Embassy of the United States, Tokyo.