The Austin College community mourns the loss of Distinguished Alumnus and dedicated volunteer James Rolfe, who died February 26 in Dallas, and offers sympathy to Jim’s family, including his wife, Susan.
Austin College President Steven O’Day and Athletic Director David Norman ’83 express their gratitude that the College and alumni friends were able to honor Jim in person last February with the naming of Jim Rolfe Court in the College’s Hughey Gymnasium in Mason Complex.
A 1965 graduate and former ’Roo basketball athlete, Rolfe remained active in the life of Austin College and Kangaroo athletics for more than 50 years. He held several leadership roles, including a stint as president of the Alumni Board. His dedication and service to his alma mater were well known, and when necessary upgrades to the gym were identified for fundraising needs, including replacement of its court, his name rose to the top for the naming opportunity.
Friends and family rallied to create Jim Rolfe Court, and many gathered to celebrate with him at the announcement. “It is an honor to recognize Jim’s remarkable impact on Austin College, our student-athletes, and his entire network of family and friends with the naming of ‘Jim Rolfe Court’,” President O’Day said at the announcement in Hughey Gym in February 2020. “His professional career and his service to his community, to his church, and to Austin College and our athletics programs, have been extraordinary.”
Named a Distinguished Alumnus of Austin College in 2000 and inducted to the College’s Athletic Hall of Honor in 2007, Rolfe had a distinguished career in law in Dallas for five decades.
Upon graduating from The University of Texas School of Law in 1968, he began his career as Assistant City Attorney in Dallas, then was Assistant District Attorney for Dallas County. He was appointed United States Attorney for the northern district of Texas by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and led one of the largest U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the country. The offices investigated and prosecuted all federal criminal and civil matters in north Texas, and he received citations from several federal agencies for his performance in that position. He later went into private practice as a criminal defense attorney with Elliot Sauter law firm.
The Austin College community is grateful for Jim’s life and finds comfort in the many fond memories associated with his deep legacy on campus and among alumni.