WHEREAS,  the Honorable Neil Rolde, of York, who died on May 15, 2017, was a longtime public servant, a distinguished historian and author and a dedicated member of the Maine House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS,  Neil Rolde was raised in Brookline, Massachusetts and moved to Maine as a young man in the early 1960s; and

WHEREAS,  Neil Rolde began his political career as press secretary and special assistant to Governor Kenneth Curtis; and

WHEREAS,  Neil Rolde served as State Representative from York during the 106th, 107th and 109th to 114th Legislatures and was also House Majority Leader from 1975 to 1977; and

WHEREAS,  Neil Rolde left politics in 1990 but remained active in public service through various organizations, including Maine Public, the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, the Maine Arts Commission and the University of New England board of trustees; and

WHEREAS,  Neil Rolde was active on the board of the Seacoast Shipyard Association, which twice fought successfully to keep the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard open; and

WHEREAS,  Neil Rolde wrote more than a dozen books, primarily about the history of Maine, including a history of Maine's Native American population and a retelling of the events leading to the establishment of Baxter State Park; and

WHEREAS,  it is the desire of the Members of the Senate and the Members of the House of Representatives and the citizens they represent to formally recognize the accomplishments of Neil Rolde and to express the high esteem and affection we have for this outstanding longtime resident of York, Maine; now, therefore, be it